Switch the Patch
by Ballerninja
Summary: Based off of a screenshot of a Tumblr post: Students exchange houses... what could go wrong? A lot apparently. Just ask the four poor students selected for the program. Obnoxious Malfoys, crazy allergies, and absolute chaos. Add a giant Basilisk and things get even weirder. This is an AU based on a writing prompt that just won't leave me alone. T because I'm paranoid.
1. Switching the Patch

A/N: Hi! This is my disclaimer paragraph. And, well, there's quite a few. So, if you don't care, skip to the end. 1) This is my first fan fiction ever. And I do mean EVER, so please be considerate of the fact that this is all new to me. 2) While I am definitely a fan of Harry Potter, I am not an expert. I'm not. So if there is anything majorly wrong with plots or facts that don't line up with either the books or movies, then it's either a mistake on my part, or a change for the plot of this AU. Either or. So I ask that you, politely, point them out to me if it bothers you that much. 3) I'm American. (Sorry, I can't help it) And I don't have anyone to tell me British slang, so what I do manage to get correct is because I'm also a major Whovian. And a Sherlockian... BBC has ruined my life. If there's something that makes the English in you cringe at its horrible use, tell me. Again, politely please. 4) I don't have a beta reader, so any mistakes in spelling and/or grammar are mine alone. 5) And most importantly; I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Obviously. Or else I would get a free ride to college… wouldn't that be nice? All credit goes to good ol' J.K. Rowling. It's her wizarding world.

Sorry it's so long, but thanks for reading! (Or skimming. Or skipping.) Now on to the story!

* * *

The Great Hall settled on the eve of September first into a smooth blanket of excited chatter as the students, old and new, discussed the upcoming year. The normal gossip floated about, in one ear and out the other mostly; who did what over the summer break, and what professors would be absolutely BORING and what professors would be positively grand. The most noted of this, as always, was the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The position holder was frequently changed due to a rumored curse on the position. So you would have thought that the students would have something better to do then chat about that.

But this year's professor was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart. Many girls swooned, and practically everyone else rolled their eyes as the man could be seen from any distance with his bright white smile flashing away like a warning sign every time his lips parted. His fame was now broadly known of, as included on the list of textbooks were many of his famous novels. This brought both positive and negative attention, as does most fame, and he was the most widely discussed topic of the night beyond the mysterious lack of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.

Only near the end of the feast did something more unusual occur. But it wasn't quite that unusual at all, in the beginning; it was simply the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, standing from his seat. But as the meal was nearly finished, and he didn't make a move to leave the table, the babble of the students slowly died down.

The old professor cleared his throat. "As this wonderful feast is nearly over, I wish to make a final announcement." Whatever talk had been left came to an abrupt stop, some even stalling in the middle of sentences or words, their mouths still hanging open as they waited in anticipation of his next statement. Things always seemed to happen at Hogwarts, and they normally started with a perfectly normal announcement. "There is a project long in the making that I wish to bring to your attention, as I believe now is the time. We are exchanging students."

Muffled whispers broke out among the student body once more with renewed vigor, and Dumbledore lifted a steady, wrinkled hand to silence them. Once they were mostly quiet, he continued. "Not from the school, simply from one house to another. There will be a parchment pinned to the announcement board in your respective common rooms, and will be there for only this first week of the term. If you wish to participate, write your name. The Heads of Houses will then choose a student from the list, and they will be sorted into a new house. Temporarily, of course."

He paused for a moment, bemused that he still had the students' attention. "There will be a few guidelines, but I will say the most important of them now. First year students will not be allowed to participate, as they need to adjust to their own house before swapping. You will be switching houses entirely, and the first half of the school term will be a trial run. If it all goes smoothly, then the program will continue to the second half. If you have more questions, ask your Head of House. Thank you, and that is all."

There was a ringing silence after the announcement, reaching until the Headmaster hadn't only sat down once more, but spooned a bit of cherry pudding onto his plate. Suddenly the thunder of loud words flew across the room and rushed around, bouncing off of the walls in nervous anticipation as every student was discussing the possibilities.

* * *

The results weren't entirely surprising.

The Gryffindor's parchment had almost a dozen names listed, each with the year of the student next to it. Fred and George Weasley were listed as one name, though that was to be expected. McGonagall had shaken her head, and immediately crossed that one off of the list.

The Slytherins only had three names, though that wasn't a surprise either, as most of them were extraordinarily proud of their house, and their Pure-blood status, and didn't want to move. The fact anyone had even signed up was startling, and Professor Snape had rolled his eyes once more at the ridiculousness of the idea as he took the parchment from the wall.

The Hufflepuffs had filled just over half of the scroll, with a large total of twenty-three students, as the Hufflepuffs probably wanted to better understand their peers.

The Ravenclaws had needed an extra page, as everyone who was able had signed up for the transfer; most all of them out of curiosity and the desire to learn what the other houses were like. It was an extraordinary response, and Professor Flitwick smiled slightly at the enthusiasm of his House at the idea.

Each Head of House agreed to attempt to narrow their lists down to three, and leave the ultimate decision to Dumbledore. The headmaster eyed the names with a slight frown, absentmindedly stroking the slowly dulling feathers of his phoenix, Fawkes. His office was quiet, with no noise except the steady ticking of a clock, and the occasional whizz of a bobble here or there that was scattered throughout the cozy room.

Suddenly extremely happy with the fact that Professor Flitwick had managed to narrow the list of Ravenclaws from nearly the entire house to five, Dumbledore quickly circled a name. A young Ravenclaw by the name of Elisabeth Morgan, a half-blood, was selected. He remembered her from the year before, when she'd practically lived in the library. Miss Morgan had put in requests for more books than Hermione Granger, which really was a surprise as the young Gryffindor seemed to be heavily curious about all matters of study. It was, in fact, a shock to him that Elisabeth Morgan had even taken her nose out of a book long enough to sign her name. He'd only ever really seen the top of her head, all three years of having her attend.

Next was Slytherin, and the old Headmaster couldn't help the slight upward tug of his lip at the sight of only three names, knowing that they had been there from the very beginning. He knew this was true simply because Professor Snape had just handed him the scroll as soon as it was taken from the common room wall. Listed were two names of families barely known in the wizarding world, but mentioned nonetheless because of their Pure-blood status. The third was a half-blood. Deciding finally, Jasper Wilf was the lucky winner.

Gryffindors. This time, Dumbledore sighed. Knowing that most of the list had been compiled of students who had been dared to put their names down, he felt horrible for Minerva McGonagall, who'd had to go and figure out which students really wanted to try and be transferred. Pleasantly surprised to see a familiar name on the list, the Headmaster shook his head. Hermione Granger needed to stay with her house. She was good for the Boy-Who-Lived. Grudgingly, he crossed her name out and looked to the others. The pondering took a few long minutes as he checked the name with his memory. Eventually he circled one third-year by the name of Maxwell Johnson.

And then the Hufflepuffs. This was the last paper to be handed in, as poor Professor Sprout hadn't wanted to limit the list; she wanted to give all of her Badgers a chance to experience something that was new. But, knowing the hard work Dumbledore would've had to go through to narrow it himself, she'd reluctantly done so, and gave him a list of seven. He barely glanced at the others as his eyes settled on one specifically. A muggle-born student, and the only second-year to sign her name. The only reason he knew who she happened to be without much thought was because, in her first year, she'd seen him in the hall and stopped him to ask about his socks. After that, he'd received a pair for Christmas – owl pattern of purple and green – with a simple thank-you letter attached. But ever since then, seeing her in a crowd wasn't likely. In fact, he couldn't even pick her out in the Great Hall. Amelia Ross blended in like a chameleon.

Curiosity took route in him as he looked over the list of students he selected. A fourth year pure-blood from Slytherin. A third year half-blood from Gryffindor. A third year Ravenclaw, also half-blood. And a muggle-born second year from Hufflepuff. What an odd bunch. This could essentially cause chaos, and he knew it. The reason the idea was long in the making was because it had taken him this long to convince enough of the staff that it could be good for the students. Switching their houses could show that the color of their robes didn't define who they could like and who they couldn't. It could, potentially, break many prejudices. Or at least begin to.

The deciding over, he glanced at the clock. Just in time for supper.

* * *

When Dumbledore stood, the Hall fell silent. It was Friday; the end of the week. Excitement even in silence, the emotion buzzed in the air in a way that tingled the backs of necks. The Headmaster cleared his throat as if to gain their attention, but there was no need; they wouldn't have stared harder if a contest was happening. "The students have been selected." He didn't even need to say what he was speaking of. Everyone seemed to know. "If I call your name, please see your Head of House after the meal." He briefly looked over the list as if he didn't already have their names memorized in order to prolong the dramatic affect. Sometimes he enjoyed his job.

"From Ravenclaw, Elisabeth Morgan." There was some polite applause from the table of blue.

"From Gryffindor, Maxwell Johnson." A thundering amount of shouting and stomping of feet could be heard. Dumbledore couldn't help the smile that touched his features at the obvious rowdiness coming from the Gryffindor table as young Maxwell Johnson was the main point of jeers and teasing along with some congratulations. He waited for them to quiet before calling the next.

"From Slytherin, Jasper Wilf." More applause, this a bit more subdued than the first.

"And from Hufflepuff, Amelia Ross." Another round of polite clapping, this one much more jovial than the last.

"Again, if I called your name, please see your Head of House after the meal concludes. Thank you." Dumbledore sat once more without ceremony and began filling his plate.

* * *

All four students and their Heads of Houses walked through the hall in the opposite direction of the rest of the students, who were mostly headed toward their common rooms. As they were walking, each took a moment to look at the others.

Maxwell was average height, but broad shouldered. His brown hair was cropped short enough that it could stand on its own on the top of his head, and his hazel eyes were full of trouble. Anyone who knew him also knew that he looked up to the Weasley twins of all people. Not necessarily perfect role models according to the school's professors.

Jasper Wilf was a ginger, his build tall and thin. It surprised a lot of people to see a ginger in Slytherin green, due to the Weasleys' reputation. Any of the Weasleys. His hair was neatly combed out of his pale face, though. And not a freckle to be seen. He walked with his chin lifted, as if proud of something. But no one knew what.

Amelia's blonde hair was much paler than the yellow she sported, but fell onto her shoulders in large curls. Her brown eyes were soft, kind in a way that seemed to be welcoming. And while Hermione Granger was the brightest witch of her age, Amelia Ross had a growing reputation among the teachers as the quickest learner. She picked up new materials faster than anyone else in her class. The only difference was that she didn't actively pursue any information she could be granted, as Hermione did.

Elisabeth Morgan happened to look incredibly graceful with her straight, dark hair. Her intelligent blue eyes sought information and saw the tiniest of details. Amazingly, her thin nose wasn't in a book as she walked down the hall, looking at her fellow students with curiosity. She read for that very reason; she was curious. Curious about what went on in the minds of others, and what their words exposed. And while most everyone thought she was reading text books of the informational variety, they were actually novels. Stories, fictional or otherwise, took up most of her time scraping pages for all they were worth.

All four students seemed to realize that they were all looking at one another and returned their gazes to the path ahead. Their teachers were leading, of course, and they turned down a hall.

"I'm Amelia Ross." The blonde suddenly broke the silence, smiling and looking at them as she was lucky enough to be on the far left. "But you can call me Amy, if that's easier."

Her voice had lightened the atmosphere of its tenseness. "Max Johnson." The Gryffindor directly next to her held out his hand as they walked. She took it. "Nice to meet you."

The silence stretched, and Amy leaned to view the silent pair to her right. "And I'm guessing you're Elisabeth and Jasper?"

"I'm Elisabeth." The Ravenclaw tipped her head.

"That's a beautiful name." Amy complimented.

"So is Amelia," returned the older girl.

The blonde nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks, but Amy's easier." She perked up, excitement on her face. "Do you have a nickname?"

Elisabeth pondered the question for a moment. "Elisa?"

"I like it." Amy grinned. "Now we three have nicknames. I'm Amy, short for Amelia. He's Max, short for Maxwell. And you're Elisa, short for Elisabeth!" She paused, realization showing on her face as she looked past the Ravenclaw to the one in green. "Do you have a nickname, Jasper?"

The boy seemed startled by being addressed directly, as if he hadn't been expecting it. "Uh… no."

Amy's smile returned as a sideways smirk. "Would you like one?"

"I'm not sure there's anything short for Jasper." Elisa mentioned.

"Oh, we'll think of something," Amy said confidently.

"We're here." Professor McGonagall's voice carried over their conversation, holding at least some amusement as she'd been listening in. They were standing in front of a gargoyle statue. "Lemon Drop!" she said to the stone creation, and it hopped to the side, the wall behind it splitting open and revealing a spiral staircase that moved unlike any other in Hogwarts. It was moving upward, like an escalator.

"This way, children. Quickly now." Professor Sprout directed with a wave of her hand. Professor Snape was already on the stairs with Flitwick, and the four students followed with Professors Sprout and McGonagall just behind. When they reached the top, there was a large oak door with a gleaming brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

Professor Snape knocked firmly on the door, and it swung open on silent hinges. They all filed in, and Dumbledore was already standing in his office, though none of them were entirely sure how he'd reached it before them.

He was smiling kindly as they entered. "Sit, sit." He gestured to the open area, wand suddenly in hand, and conjured four chairs before watching in concealed fascination as each student followed the command. It was amazing, how differently children could act from one another. The Slytherin sat with dignified poise, screaming aristocrat. The Gryffindor slumped in his chair, looking at him with a casual interest. The Ravenclaw's eyes darted around the room in open curiosity as she sat down slowly, almost in wonder. The Hufflepuff muttered a thanks before sitting at the edge of her seat, letting her hands rest in her lap. As the Headmaster offered the last a welcoming smile, she smirked back, her warm amusement genuine.

The professors conjured their own chairs, and sat behind the students.

Dumbledore had no introduction, and just dove right into the heart of the matter. "Now, I'm aware that I said during the original announcement of this project that you would wear the Sorting Hat again, and it would give you your new, temporary, house. But I have talked with it, and it will not sort twice. It refuses to. So what we will do instead is switch. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw will swap, as will Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

The Headmaster got no further however when Professor Sprout suddenly launched from her chair, curly graying hair framing a surprisingly furious face. "Headmaster, are you suggesting that—"

"Pomona," He interrupted her. "This is not a conversation to be had at this present moment. You will wait until the students are dismissed."

Professor Sprout took a deep breath, before sitting back down in her seat with an undignified huff. He knew the source of her unease, but it was not to be brought up in front of children.

A single hand rose into the air. Dumbledore stared at it for a moment before remembering himself. "Yes, Ms. Morgan?"

The Ravenclaw's blue eyes held his steadily. "When will we switch, and where will we be staying?" She asked, her voice soft.

"You will be staying in your new house's dormitories, and the goal is to move you there by Sunday, so you have an understanding of your house before classes begin."

"Will it be the same course work?" The question came from the Slytherin this time.

"For Ms. Morgan and Mr. Johnson, you will simply trade places in class, because you are both third-years. But You, Mr. Wilf, will be added into the Hufflepuff's fourth-year students, while Ms. Ross will sit in with the second-year Slytherins. Your course work will stay the same." Dumbledore waited, and was glad he did when another voice added a question.

"How will we get to the common rooms?" Maxwell spoke up.

"You'll become nostalgic of your first year, because you will be escorted through by a prefect, just like then." Dumbledore said with a nod.

"Excuse me, Headmaster." Amelia's voice was heard next. "But what about our robes?"

"Ah, an excellent question." Dumbledore said with a nod. "I do believe I have an idea, but you'll have to bear with me while we try it. Your customary ties will have both house colors- from your original and from the new- and the lining of your robes will change to a new color while your house patches stay the same. How does that sound?"

"How and when will we get these new robes?" Jasper asked.

"They will be provided for you by tomorrow afternoon." Dumbledore answered, before leaning back in his chair. "I would like to thank you all personally for choosing to participate in this. Our ultimate goal is to attempt and unite the houses, and to remind them that the patch on your robes shouldn't define who you are to be." He eyed each of them carefully. "I trust you will all have integrity in this, and respect the houses you are placed in. Now, I do believe it's getting late. Please return to your common rooms. If you have any more questions, you will remember to ask?"

They all nodded their understanding, each again in their own way; Jasper offered a polite incline of his head, Elisabeth nodded absent minded, Amelia held his gaze as she nodded, conveying clearly that she understood, while Maxwell grinned mischievously as he completed the action.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Good. I will see you all in the Great Hall tomorrow." He stood from his chair, dismissing them. Everyone followed suit, but before they could leave entirely, he called out "And professors, if you wouldn't mind I would like to hold a meeting in my office once everything is settled in your common rooms?"

The teachers also gave him a brief nod, Sprout and McGonagall seriously, Flitwick and Snape with a dreary expression, knowing that the meeting would not be pleasant in the slightest if the subject matter would be what they guessed of it. It was going to be a late night.

* * *

A/N: Another one, I know... sorry. But I need to give credit where credit is due! This is AU, so all the characters you don't recognize are mine. And these OCs were created with the help of jahaha27! If you haven't seen her stuff, I highly recommend it. Especially if you need OC help.

Thank you for reading, and let me know if you're interested in more.


	2. What's the Catch?

A/N: HI! *frantically waves excitedly* I updated! How exciting! My goal is to post a chapter every week, but I can't promise that sort of consistency... Just know that if I plan on abandoning this, I'll give you a warning or something. (Also, I respond to reviews at the end, if there are any.)

Also, I'm a Hufflepuff. So, as we're getting into descriptions of common rooms this chapter, please keep in mind I know next to nothing about what the other house common rooms look like. I'm putting in as far as Google Images and friends from said houses could push my imagination.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters or material from the wizarding world. Or else I would have more merchandise. Of more than just this fandom. (For a more in-depth Disclaimer, see Chapter 1)

Enjoy!

* * *

Pomona Sprout was miffed. The outrage was painted all over her face as she sat in her chair, back stubbornly straight, lips tightened into a thin line, and arms crossed. She glared at the Headmaster with such irritation that it nearly rivaled Severus, who normally looked equally put out, if less openly. That night he was giving his signature frown to the floor, almost as if ignoring the conversation about to happen would stop it from happening. McGonagall and Flitwick sat back and watched carefully, trading knowing looks.

No one spoke. Not for a long time. So Dumbledore opened his mouth to initiate the conversation. "I understand that you—"

"Don't give me that, Albus." Pomona interrupted him instantly. "You know full well that putting Amelia Ross into Slytherin will cause an uproar. A dangerous one."

"Now, just because she's born of muggles doesn't mean—"

"It certainly does mean it!" She interrupted once more. "That house is known for their prejudices against muggle-borns. In fact, it's one of the few stereotypes that aren't incorrect. Salazar Slytherin didn't want them in his house. Ever."

"But we know for a fact that there are muggle-borns in Slytherin. And so far they have gotten along well with the other students." Albus reminded her.

"Only because none of the students know who is and who isn't." Pomona snapped. "They never say. It's not a thing of open discussion unless a pure-blood is inserting dominance. So don't give me any of this rubbish about how maybe the Slytherin house isn't what it appears to be." She seemed a bit breathless at the end of her little rant, and allowed her anger to show plainly.

"Pomona does have a point, Albus." Minerva interceded. "It is dangerous. Who knows what the poor girl will be subjected to? There were so many other way to go about this."

"Such as?" Dumbledore asked.

"You can't possibly mean to swap the Slytherins and Gryffindors instead." Flitwick implored of the two older women. "That would be worse, on both sides. At least this way, Mr. Wilf will be in safe and welcoming hands."

"You could've switched Slytherin with Ravenclaw." Pomona huffed. "Or even something like Hufflepuff in Gryffindor, Gryffindor in Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw in Slytherin, and Slytherin in Hufflepuff. There were so many choices. Why would you choose that?"

"Perhaps to quell this very prejudice we speak of." Dumbledore answered. "I thought of switching Mr. Wilf and Mr. Johnson, but decided that, when it came to that particular rivalry, a slower route was best acknowledged."

"But this isn't just the matter of a mere house rivalry!" Pomona was on her feet. "This is ancestry, and a prejudice that's older than even you. And it's not something that can be wished away because we put a badger with snakes."

Albus looked taken aback. "Now, Pomona—"

"This. Is. Different." She insisted before turning to Snape. "And what about you? Do you honestly think that this will go over well?"

The professor in question hesitated, his dark eyes staring as if he'd just woken up and was trying to comprehend his surroundings. "I do believe that this is an opportunity… for what, I'm not sure. But I trust the Headmaster's judgement."

Professor Sprout stared at him in shock for a moment. Groaning in frustration, she turned back to the headmaster with a flourish, and stomped right up to his desk. "I will let this go. For now. If I find out that my Puff has been harmed in _any_ way- emotionally, physically, or mentally- I will _personally_ see to it that someone suffers the consequences. Whether or not that is a student, Professor Snape, or you is of no object. Have I made myself clear?"

Never having been on the receiving end of her angry-teacher persona, Albus Dumbledore hesitated for the first time in a long time. "Yes, you have."

"Perfect." She turned on her heel and walked straight out the door, only pausing to say goodnight to the other Heads over her shoulder. And as she left, Dumbledore thought about the anger she'd just shown. Was it right? He frowned. Perhaps it was more her protecting her student to the most possible. But as seen in previous years, the students of Hogwarts tend to shine when put into potentially dangerous situations. He just hoped things didn't veer too far out of control.

* * *

Gryffindor. Out of all of the houses she ended up with Gryffindor. Elisabeth wanted to slam her head into the wall simply at the idea. Everyone knew how horribly rowdy and loud Gryffindors could be. Trouble makers. Too brave for their own good. Dauntless to the point of extremes on more than one occasion. Though maybe these were stereotypes observed only because they were the loudest. The twins of the Weasley family certainly lived up to the title, but Percy Weasley did not. He was very professional. Almost business-like during her tour. Maybe it was over exaggerated? Though, it would be an interesting change from Ravenclaw.

But Elisabeth looked at Percy Weasley with a new-found respect as the portrait swung open to reveal a bustling Gryffindor common room. At one side, many people were playing games like exploding snap, shouting and seemingly trying to make as much noise as absolutely possible.

Suddenly there was a loud cheer, and then an annoyed huff from her right. Elisa looked that direction to find a puffy-haired girl furiously reading a text book and scribbling away with her quill. It looked like an essay. Probably for History of Magic. Those are always long, and a pain.

"The password changes every two weeks, and the new one will be hanging up on the board. The girls' dormitories are on the left, up that staircase. You're the second door, if I remember correctly." The ginger instructed. "Your stuff should already be there. If there's anything missing, or if you have any questions, just let one of the prefects, or Professor McGonagall know."

"Thank you." She said.

"Not a problem. And… good luck." And with that, Percy Weasley went around trying to calm and corral the craziness that was Gryffindor. It was probably a pointless endeavor, but Elisa found herself thankful nonetheless.

She went to her dorm first, finding everything in order, and her robes changed to the deep red of her new house. She sat on her bed a moment, reaching over to the small box that contained her ancient, grey cat. Peter was actually a muggle house cat. One her mother had adopted a year before Elisa's birth. Poor thing barely wanted to move, but Elisa still brought him with her every year, and kept good care of him because she wanted him to see everything. Not that she would tell the rough-looking, spike-eared, old-as-dust cat snoozing on the blanket in the box. Peter would probably die of shock if he thought she actually loved him that much.

Elisa took a deep breath and stroked Peter's fur, trying to get used to the overtaking color that certainly wasn't blue. The room was warmer than her old one. It also looked smaller, but she decided that its size was probably what made it so warm. And she had to remind herself that this was a learning experience. It wasn't permanent. She didn't have to like everything. But she did. So far, at least.

A small smile rooted itself on her face as she looked around once more. This might not be so bad. In fact… It might be fun.

* * *

Maxwell was surprised. The Ravenclaw common room was…. Quiet. Library quiet. The students who were actually in it were sitting in corners, or spread across couches, or curled up in chairs, reading. That was it. Reading. No exploding snap, and no rough housing or shouting. Max shook his head. He never thought he would really miss the Weasley twins.

"The riddle normally refreshes to a new one every time you try to open the door, but it seems to be stuck in its ways, and the riddle has been staying the same all day. We're not entirely sure why, and we've brought it up with Professor Flitwick. I'm sure it will be fixed soon." Said the prefect, and Max tried to pay attention. "Now, don't feel like you have to whisper when you're in here and it's quiet like this, but be considerate of everyone who is trying to study or do research. Beyond that, the boys' dorms are on the right. Up those stairs. You, I think, are five doors down." And with that, Max was led through the common room, up the stairs, and five doors, just like he said.

Sure enough, the door opened to reveal a large bedroom with four beds. The enlargement charm was exceedingly popular in Hogwarts, he supposed, because the room couldn't possibly be this large on the outside. And the blue wasn't overwhelming, as he'd always pictured it to be, but varied in shade exponentially, giving the room a fresh, open look. It was pretty easy to find his trunk, as it was plastered with Gryffindor and Quidditch memorabilia. There was also the small cage setting on the nightstand containing his technically-illegal-to-bring pet. Noting that everything was where it was supposed to be, he thanked the prefect, who left, and sat down on his bed.

This could be fun, or it could be horrible. But, either way, it would be pretty entertaining.

* * *

Jasper Wilf frowned as the prefect led him to… the kitchens. There was a stack of barrels against the far wall that look perfectly harmless, but apparently had the prefect's attention, because they went straight for them. Then Jasper watched as the prefect promptly tapped her wand on the surface of one in a distinct pattern he couldn't place. It swung open to reveal a small tunnel. He followed her through.

And into a vast, open, warm space that was flooded with golden afternoon light through round circular windows. The room itself was round, peppered with rugs and tables with chairs around them. And, much to Jasper's surprise, plants. Everywhere. Hanging from walls, windows, the backs of chairs, even just sitting against the walls were distinct leaves and pots of all different shapes and sizes.

He took one step into what was the Hufflepuff common room and sneezed loudly, as it had been unexpected. A chorus of "bless you"s could be heard, and Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he felt another sneeze coming on. He promptly pinched his nose, and listened to what the prefect was saying. "—no password, and the beat stays the same all of the time. But if you're having trouble, please tell anyone in yellow. Right there, next to where we came in, is the announcement board, and the boys' dormitories are just over there, and we normally have cookies over by the fireplace. In the event that we win a Quidditch match, or something of the like, there will also be tea or hot chocolate. Again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." That was all said with a wide flourish of pointing in so many different directions, Jasper's head was spinning. Or maybe that was his overwhelming urge to sneeze once more. But it didn't surprise him to have the prefect observing him in a concerned way. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." He said, carefully removing his fingers from his nose. And promptly shoving it into his elbow to cover another sneeze. More "bless you"s.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

The motherly concern in her voice caught him off guard, so he stuttered his answer. "N-not that I'm aware of."

She nodded slowly. "Well, if it gets worse, let me know. Alright? Promise?"

He quickly nodded in affirmation. That seemed enough to satisfy her, because the warm smile reappeared on her face, replacing the mother-hen stare. "Go ahead and make sure you have everything that way you don't have to worry over it later. Let me know how it goes. Oh!" She snapped her fingers. "Yours is the seventh door on your left. Sorry for the distance. We couldn't get you a closer one."

"That's perfectly fine." He told her. "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime." And with that, the prefect strolled over to the nearest chair and sat.

Jasper frowned thoughtfully, and counted doors as he walked. This was very different from Slytherin. Almost scarily different. In fact… he looked back from where he came just in time to see a fifth-year stuff his third cookie in his mouth, and shook his head. Maybe it really was scary. But, if this is what Hufflepuffs were used to, he was beginning to worry about Amelia Ross.

* * *

Amelia was sure that the dungeons were a horrible place to put children. And to make them sleep there? She constantly worried about Salazar's sanity. But all of those feelings were wiped away as the wall parted to reveal a warm and homey atmosphere. In an oddly regal way. The walls and floor were still the same cold, hard stone. But they were dry, and had a picture or rug to interrupt them. But out of everything, she was sure that the fire was the reason why the room was so welcoming. It sat there, burning hot and joyful, with bits of green occasionally making its way in. And the furniture was plush. Expensive-looking even after what could only be centuries of use. Green was present but, Amy was happy to see, not as overwhelming as she'd imagined. Green could be such a suffocating color if used in excess, she knew. And it was nice to see that even though the lighting in the room took on a greenish tint (due to what she further observed to see as part of Hogwarts' lake through a window) it was still very light.

"Your dorm is that way." The girl pointed down a hall to the left. "First door on your right. The password changes every two weeks, so make sure to check the board because we won't tell you what it is if you didn't. In fact, it's an established rule that no one outside of here is allowed to know the passwords we chose. Not even the Head of House."

Amy frowned at the implications of such a rule. "But what if he needs to get in?"

"He can read the board. And there's an override. Professor Snape just says it, and he can get in any time he wants. He doesn't need our passwords." The prefect tossed her raven hair over her shoulder so it dropped behind her back. "If you have any questions, ask." And with those final words, the older girl just walked away, back out into the hall. The common room was pretty empty at that moment, and Amelia wasn't certain as to why, but there were a few people scattered across the room. She wondered if it would be a good idea to approach them.

"Oh, if it isn't the Hufflepuff." Came a snobbish voice. Knowing before she even turned around, Amelia wasn't surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing in the entryway. "Are you giving away cookies?" There was a snicker from one of his friends, and Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the pathetic joke.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I want to know what you're doing in our common room."

"I'm an exchange student." She said patiently. "Did you miss that announcement?"

He snarled. "I know that."

"Then why ask?"

Draco lifted his hand to stop Crabbe from stepping forward. "I want to know why Dumbledore thought you were Slytherin material. You obviously don't share any of our ideals."

"Obviously?" She asked. "How would you know? We've barely been talking for five minutes."

"You're a Hufflepuff. If you belonged here, the Sorting Hat would've put you here."

"Who's to say it didn't consider it?"

Draco huffed, and crossed his arms. "You? A Slytherin? Yeah, right. I bet you're not even a pure-blood, what with a name like Ross."

"You're right. I'm not." She agreed carefully.

"What are you then?" Amelia could hear the hostility in his tone. This really wasn't good. You'd have to be blind and deaf to not know of the Slytherin's hatred for muggle-borns.

"Does it really matter?" She tried.

"Of course it does." He leaned in, his voice dangerously low.

She took a deep breath. This is where things got messy. But if she hid it, if she acted like she wasn't proud of it, they would win because that meant that they got to her. So Amelia tipped her chin up with confidence as she confirmed his thoughts. "I'm muggle-born."

There was a gasp heard across the room. "A muggle-born? In the Slytherin common?" Whispers broke out among the few present, and Amelia forced herself to stay exactly where she was.

"You have no right to be in here." Draco said. "Tainting these floors with your filth. What was that old buffoon _thinking_? Dumbledore is really off his rocker now."

"Now wait just a minute." Amelia said, her irritation showing her voice. "The Headmaster—"

" _You_." Draco cut her off. "Are not allowed to speak here."

"Of course I am! This is my common room too, now!"

"It is not! And it never will be! You aren't welcome here."

"And you don't really have a choice, do you?" Amelia planted her feet, her voice calm and steady. "You're stuck with me until the end of the term."

"This is ludicrous! My father will be hearing about this!" He glared at her.

Amelia felt her anger rise at the words. "Yes, and tell him about the ridiculous amount of schoolwork you have, too. Maybe he can pay someone else to do it for you."

There was a ringing silence, and Amelia forced herself to not feel guilty for saying it. She bit the apology on her tongue, refusing to let it escape. This was not the time for apologies. This was no time to be nice. She needed to show that she couldn't be cowed under any circumstance. But the force of her rude words stuck in her mind; this wasn't how she'd wanted this to go.

Draco narrowed his eyes, and stepped closer to her. She refused to look away, or take a step back, no matter how much she wanted to. Even at his short height, he was still a couple of inches taller than her. "You dare mock me? _You_?" His voice was more of a hiss.

"Afraid so."

"Malfoy, I think it might be best if—"

"Stay out of this, Fortis!" Draco snapped, interrupting the other second year who was trying to talk him down. "This is between me… and the _mudblood_."

Amelia forced all expression off of her face, refusing to let the name affect her no matter how much it stung. She'd learned the meaning of it the previous year after a fifth year Hufflepuff had made a Gryffindor grow antlers because the lion had said the name to a Ravenclaw (who was a good friend of the Hufflepuff). Because she knew, Amy had expected it to come up sometime while she was at Hogwarts. So instead of showing her offence, she smiled slightly as her eyes caught a movement from behind the blond in front of her. "Maybe you should listen to him."

Draco blinked, surprised. "And why would I do that?"

"I do believe that this is not entirely school appropriate behavior." Draco jumped around at the sound of Professor Snape's slow voice. "Another argument like this, and I will have to remove house points." He added.

Draco looked like someone had just slapped him. "But she started it!"

Amelia glared at him, but didn't add or accuse him of lying. It would result in another fight, and that's not what she wanted.

Snape turned his dark gaze to her. "Is this true?"

"No, sir." She responded with a simple shake of her head.

The professor narrowed his eyes at her, carefully considering. "Then I expect this not to happen in the future." He droned, his words hesitant but his tone final. And then, after an intense moment where Professor Snape stared at her, he simply turned around and walked away.

Malfoy stood gawking after his Head of House before turning a hateful eye on Amelia. "You're not welcome here, Ross. Don't forget it. Watch your back." And with that, Draco Malfoy left in a similar fashion, simply turning around and walking away with his goons following behind.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh... tension. Anyway, review responses!

 **Golden Bearded Dragon:** Indeed, the precious is in progress. My dear Moriarty, I must admit it was rather pleasant to see your review as my first. As for genius... that's quite the compliment coming from you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Catch... You... Later. Yours truly, Sherlock.

 **Jahaha27:** I'm so happy for your support in this. Honestly, it tickles me. Thank you so much, again, for your help with these OCs! And being an ear for my ideas through the development of this... no matter how late at night...

 **Messenger777:** I'm not entirely sure if you actually read this story... probably not. But, in case you are, I would like you to know that your opinion was considered, and I believe that the ideas for these stories, and other popular books/tv shows/games/other can be used to reach out to the community in a positive way. You just have to use it correctly.

Thank you for the reviews!

Until next time


	3. Meeting to Hatch

A/N: I have returned! I know I promised one chapter a week, and I'm still trying to stick with that, but if I post another fanfiction, that will count as a "chapter" from here on out. Last week, instead of posting to this story, I now have a BBC Sherlock fanfic called _Excessive Catalyst_. Check it out if you're interested.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or else I wouldn't have to work to get scholarships in order to afford college and not be drowning in debt for the rest of my life... Also, I'm still self-beta-ing (that's not a word) so please excuse any minor grammar mistakes. If there is something majorly wrong, however, feel free to message me. (for a more in-depth disclaimer see chapter 1)

Also, there will be new terms that will now have regular usage... most likely. The idea was given to me by a friend, and now I cannot resist.

 **Hufflyn** : Hufflepuff-to-Slytherin (Amelia)

 **Gryffinclaw** : Gryffindor-to-Ravenclaw (Maxwell)

 **Slytherpuff** : Slytherin-to-Hufflepuff (Jasper)

 **Ravendor** : Ravenclaw-to-Gryffindor (Elisabeth)

Responding to review(s) at the bottom.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Professor McGonagall?"

The older witch turned her head at the sound of her name, and found herself looking into the blue eyes of Elisabeth Morgan. "Yes, Ms. Morgan?"

She looked hesitant, standing in the common room as McGonagall briefly checked on her house. "I was just wondering if there was a plan to communicate the experience."

Minerva blinked, "I afraid I don't know what you're speaking of."

"Oh, well… this transfer thing that's happening. The point of it is to experience other houses, yes? Well… how do we plan on communicating the experience to the teachers or each other? Will there be… a meeting of some kind? A progress meeting?"

McGonagall smiled slightly as understanding settled in. "Do you wish for me to schedule something?"

"Only if it's alright with you and the other professors." Elisa said quickly. "And the Headmaster."

The Transfiguration professor nodded her head slowly. "How about… at the end of this week, there will be a meeting, and then let's try every two weeks from then?"

Elisa nodded thoughtfully, looking down at her shoes. "I think that would work. Where will we be meeting?"

"The library, perhaps?" McGonagall offered.

"That sounds brilliant, Professor. Thank you." Elisa smiled at her, before going serious once more. "You said the end of this week?"

"Friday afternoon before supper?"

Elisa's smile returned. "Perfect."

* * *

"Ms. Ross, stay."

The simple command glued Amy to her seat when Snape's voice rang out through the classroom. She froze mid-movement in an attempt to grab her textbook, her heart a herd of elephants in her chest, as all possible scenarios for why she was being kept skirted through her mind too fast to catch. Indeed, it actually caused her to panic further.

She'd stayed out of trouble; Malfoy had only sneered from a distance these last few days. Maybe someone found the toad she'd been keeping under her bed? No, that's ridiculous for more than one reason; toads were allowed at Hogwarts, and no one would have dug underneath her bed. Perhaps she was failing potions? Another ridiculous idea; it was only the third week of term.

Soon all of the students had filtered out. Amy suspected that some of them were already spreading rumors about detention, or sniggering as they left. But she'd been too distracted to pay attention. Hesitantly, she finished grabbing her book, and approached the professor's desk with a smile on her face. She'd gotten good a faking friendly ones when she was nervous.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

Professor Snape stood behind his desk in all of his dark, gloomy nature like a Grim Reaper as he towered over her. If he was trying to be intimidating, Amy had to admit he was succeeding.

"I've been told to inform you of a meeting the will occur in two days' time. Your attendance is required."

She relaxed slightly at his words. "If you don't mind me asking, what is this meeting for?"

He glared at her, as if he was frustrated that she hadn't given him a reason to shout at her yet. "You are participating in a first-time endeavor for transferring students from house to house. It's a progress meeting."

"Where will it be, sir?"

He clenched his teeth together, and Amy's smile became easier at his struggle to be civil, though she didn't understand it. He seemed constantly conflicted whenever he was talking to her. "The library."

"When will I be expected there?"

"Before supper." The words seemed forced.

She inwardly sighed at such a vague answer, but kept her smile joyful anyway. "Brilliant. Thank you for telling me, professor."

He scoffed, as if she were faking the gratitude and he knew it.

"Will that be all? Or was there something else?" Amy asked innocently, as if she hadn't the faintest idea of what sort of internal battle he seemed to be having.

Snape again returned his glare to her directly. "Dismissed." He ground out.

She thanked him once more, and practically hopped out of the room, text book in hand. One of Amy's most favorite games in the last week was to see how professor Snape would react each time she acted polite. One day, he just seemed overly tired, rolling his eyes every time she opened her mouth. Then there were days like this one, where he would be angry and conflicted, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe Jasper Wilf could shed some light on that observation. She mentally shrugged; only one way to find out.

* * *

Friday came before anyone knew quite what happened.

Jasper entered the library, looking around as he recalled for the umpteenth time that day what Professor Sprout had told him. "It's a meeting for you all to talk about your experiences thus far."

"Will a professor be there?" He'd asked.

"Goodness, I hadn't even thought of that." Professor Sprout had given him a thoughtful frown. "If there is anything wrong, I'm counting on you to come and tell me. Mr. Johnson and Ms. Morgan won't; they will want to deal with and solve problems on their own. And Ms. Ross won't want to bother anyone. But if it's a meeting, she might say something. If anything – and I do mean anything – seems off, please let me know."

The thoughtful frown had turned pleading, and Jasper found himself promising that he would before the thought had even occurred in his head. Now, standing just inside of the library door, he sighed. What had he been thinking? That was a lot of responsibility. To make sure everyone was alright in their current environments was going to be difficult. What, with a brave Gryffindor, an intelligent Ravenclaw, and a loyal Hufflepuff? What had the headmaster been thinking? This could go to chaos faster than anyone could say _Kneazle_.

"Jasper!"

The harsh whisper brought him back to himself. He looked around, and caught eye of a blonde girl waving at him. It was Amelia Ross. He walked that direction, and followed her to a table.

"How have you been?" She asked, a kind smile on her face.

Jasper hesitated. "Fine?"

Amelia lifted and eyebrow at him, and he was puzzled by the reaction. Wasn't that normally how small talk went? He shook his head slightly, before asking her "How early did you get here?"

She shrugged. "I wasn't given a time, so I've been here since free time began. Not a problem, though; I like this place."

Before anything else could be said, another chair was pulled away from the table, and a form slumped into it. Maxwell looked tired. No, exhausted. What had happened?

"Are you all right?" Amelia asked the Gryffinclaw.

The boy sighed deeply, and it quickly turned into a groan. It was interrupted by a small chuckle as yet another person approached their table. Elisabeth sat in a chair gracefully as she smirked at the boy across from her. "What happened to you?"

Max glared light-heartedly at Elisa. "Your house."

She shook her head. "It's your house now."

"Hold on, what happened with Ravenclaw?" Amelia asked, leaning forward with interest.

"This meeting is about sharing experiences, correct? Well, let me share with all of you an experience." His tone was nearly irritated, but it mostly reflected the exasperation on his face. "I walk in on the first day, and the common room is quiet. As in, scary-librarian-at-the-desk quiet. So I'm assuming that the house is normally that way. I mean, if it's that way on a Sunday, then it must be that way for the rest of the week."

Elisa released a rather unladylike snort, as her hand was covering her mouth. Amelia was grinning, though she had no idea why yet. She just liked seeing Elisa so happy.

Max looked even more irritated, his eyes locked on the Ravendor. "Oh, you already know where this tale is headed, don't you?"

"I don't know where it's headed." Amy put in, trying to portray her genuine interest in his story.

The previously-Gryffindor nodded stoically. "Right. So, I slept the best in my life that night. And the night after. But would you like to know what happened Wednesday that had me launching out of bed at four in the morning in an absolute panic?"

Elisa was trying to keep a lid on her laughter, but could barely control her shaking shoulders as she curled in on herself.

"I'll tell you." Max ground out through clenched teeth. "They start a bloody sound experiment."

Elisa couldn't take it any longer. She laughed. And laughed. All as Max sat slouched in his chair, arms crossed, glaring at her in what was cross between rage and amusement.

"What sound experiment?" Amy wanted to know.

Jasper stared on in complete confusion, but kept his thoughts to himself in hopes that Max would actually explain.

He did. "A muggleborn had been told that different animals can hear sounds at different frequencies. They wanted to test it, but their parents had always said no. For a _good reason_." He snapped the last sentence out in a still-cackling Elisa's direction. "But the only animals they had to volunteer were owls and cats. And, get this… they're nocturnal!"

"Why is that important?" Amy asked with a smirk.

"They sleep during the day." Elisa supplied easily through little fits of giggles.

"So the only time they can complete the experiment with the creatures in, and I'm quoting here, 'optimal condition' was at night. So I launch from my bed at four in the morning thinking the twins have let the entire Owlery into the common – why is this so funny to you?" Max asked, now barely able to keep a straight face as Elisa's giggles passed onto Amy as well.

"I talked to Janna." Elisa said with a gasp. "She told me you came down the stairs, wand in hand, looking like a crazed maniac while she was trying to conduct her experiment."

"Why didn't anyone else?" Max asked in confusion.

"Because no one else has had Weasleys to worry about, probably." Amelia's grin was contagious, and Jasper gave in as he watched Max struggling to keep his angry frown.

"And she'd warned everyone the first week of term by asking the entire house during the regular orientation whether or not she could use their pets." Elisa added, finally beginning to calm down completely.

Max shook his head before placing his forehead on the table. "You Ravenclaws are insane. My ferret practically had a heart attack."

Amy sat up straighter, suddenly very interested. "You have a ferret?"

"Not important." Max cut the thought off at its roots.

A sudden thought occurred to Jasper. "If that was Wednesday morning, why are you so exhausted now?"

Max huffed, and mumbled something into the table.

"Sorry, I couldn't hear that." Amy told him.

"I said that the bloody birds don't know when it's too late to play games to see how a difference in amount of sleep changes thought processes. They wanted to get it done at the beginning of the year, where it won't heavily affect their grades." He sounded as if he were directly quoting someone in a mocking way. "Is there a scheduled time for quiet? The answer is yes. Does Professor Flitwick care?" Max looked up sharply. "Not likely. In fact, I do believe he applauded this… Janna, and asked her to explain to him, in detail, what frequency had to do with anything. Together they're making a whistle Flitwick is going to use to train his owl to come at his call next summer. So _he_ doesn't have to go all of the way to the Owlery."

"That's absolutely fantastic." Elisa smiled. "Good for him."

Max smiled, his brow still furrowed as he tried and failed to retain his angry persona. "Shut your trap, Morgan."

Understanding that Max's story was finally over, Jasper was smiling good-naturedly as he continued discussion. "Does anyone else have something specific they want to share?"

"Actually, I have a question for you, Jasper." Amelia spoke up with a small raise of her hand.

Slightly taken off guard at being singled out, he nodded his head for her to continue, looking serious.

She did, after a tiny hesitation. "Professor Snape seems… conflicted."

Suspecting where this was headed, Jasper narrowed his eyes and resisted the urge to smile. "How so?"

"Well, last year, he was always shouting something at me, even when my potion was practically perfect. You know, the usual 'I'm amazed you're competent enough to follow simple directions' spiel. But ever since I transferred, he just sort of… glares in betrayal. As if he's not entirely sure what to do." Amy admitted carefully.

Jasper nodded his head. "I can definitely provide an answer to that. As much as I don't like to admit it, Snape has a very large bias when it comes to his house. He probably just can't decide how badly he wants to show this built-in bias. Removing your house points suddenly means removing his own."

Amy nodded carefully. "So that really _is_ what's happening. I mean, I suspected… what should I do?"

"What have you been doing?" Jasper asked skeptically.

She shrugged. "I've been polite."

Max seemed mildly horrified. "Polite?"

"As polite as possible." She confirmed, a bashful smile creeping up onto her face. "I feel horrible about it. Sometimes. But the inner conflict he's seemed to be having makes me laugh."

"If it makes you feel any better, I've been doing something similar." Jasper told them. "He's hesitates every time he goes to say anything about my potions."

"What have you been doing?" Amy asked.

Jasper grinned. "He already knows I'm not an idiot when it comes to potions, so I have to be careful. But, you know… old habits die hard. He goes to compliment something I'm doing and stops mid-sentence. It's rather remarkable, really."

There was a pause. "How about you, Elisa? Do you have anything you'd like to share?" Amy asked.

Elisa shrugged. "Nothing really. I've just been enjoying the change. Learning new things. It's nice."

From then on, the conversation was mostly full of other, milder things. What they thought of the common rooms, and set up of the dorms. Amelia shared her original opinion of the dungeons and how it changed. Elisa mentioned her love of the warm reds, and the excitement and energy of the Gryffindor house. Max talked of his liking of the different blues ("But that won't distract from the loud and obnoxious experiments"). Jasper complimented the kind environment, but mentioned his issue of sneezing every time he entered or moved to exit the common room.

"Maybe you really are allergic to something." Amelia told him, seeming slightly worried.

Jasper shook his head. "I've never been allergic to anything."

"Allergies can develop over time." Elisa put in. "Or maybe you were just never exposed to very much of it in your childhood, but it's heavily present in the Hufflepuff common room."

"Interesting theories. But I think I'm fine." Jasper told them, but didn't miss Amelia's thoughtful look of concern at the table top.

Max sighed. "Is it nearly supper? I'm starved."

Amy looked at her wrist, where a watch was placed. "Thirteen minutes."

They all hesitated, looking at each other as if unsure of how to continue. The awkwardness that was normally present between strangers made itself known once more as it had been at the very beginning, and none of them liked it. But none of them were bold enough to disrupt it.

Elisa cleared her throat. "How about we meet like this again in two weeks and discuss the same?"

"That sounds great!" Amelia agreed readily.

Jasper and Max both nodded their support of the idea, and they all stood and headed toward the Great Hall in silence.

Well, until just before the large set of doors where Amy gasped and stopped suddenly.

"Jasper!" She turned to him. "We still haven't come up with a nickname for you."

She sounded so disappointed, he really had no idea how to respond. So he copied her words from when it was first brought up. "We'll think of something."

Upon their entry of the Great Hall, the Weasley twins appeared from what seemed like nowhere, suddenly in front of Elisa, who was the head of the walking group.

Fred and George bowed deeply, bending at the hips to be practically parallel with the floor. "We owe you our gratitude, Milady. And we are forever in your debt." Fred said with an overly-posh voice.

"Indeed we are." George agreed.

They didn't move, and Elisa stared in shock and mild horror at the twins in front of her, as if they'd done something totally and completely surprising. Which, all things considered, they had. Students were staring now, but all Elisa could do was stand still. Until Fred tipped his head to look up at her face. "I think we broke her, Forge."

George followed his twin's lead, and looked up as well. "I think so, Gred."

They both stood once more, impish grins on their faces, before walking past her and to the Gryffindor table. But Fred couldn't just leave it at that, so, as he passed, he gave Elisabeth an over exaggerated wink.

Max, who had been just behind Elisa during the entire confrontation, stepped around to see her reaction to what had just happened. But as soon as he looked at her face, Max began to laugh. She looked shell-shocked; her eyes wide, and her mouth slightly open. It was comical, and Max wondered how the twins didn't automatically start cracking up at the sight of it.

"What was that about?" Amy asked.

"I... I'm not certain." The older girl admitted. "I just… I haven't got a clue."

"Well, it must have been something." Max mentioned, suddenly looking both bemused and thoughtful.

"It could have been that prank." Elisa murmured.

That caught the attention of the three other transfers still standing around her. "A prank?" Jasper was the one to ask.

"They were setting up some sort of automatic slingshot in one of the halls, but the trajectory was all wrong; they would have missed their target by meters." She was still staring at the place the twins had been.

"So you corrected them?" Amy asked. At Elisa's nod, Amy smiled. "That was nice of you. I just hope that no one was hurt during that prank."

Jasper sighed deeply, quickly connecting the dots available. "Was that this morning?"

Elisa hesitated. "Yes?"

"They were tossing dungbombs at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff prefects on their way back from a meeting."

At Jasper's explanation, Elisa just blinked. "How do you know?"

The Slytherpuff grimaced. "Hard to miss the smell."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! This one is a little shorter, but don't worry; things will start picking up soon... hopefully. I would tell you for certain, but I am posting these as I write them, so patience will probably be a necessity.

 **Golden Bearded Dragon** : You, my dear Moriarty, do make me laugh. The cookies, of course, are always available to the Hufflepuffs due to them being in the immediate vicinity of the kitchens. I'm glad you're enjoying Amelia. She wouldn't exist without Jahaha27 pitching in. Mary is a clever one, isn't she? -SH


	4. An Itch to Scratch

A/N: New chapter! Yay! On time! Even better! A lot of exclamation points! So happy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the things. Or else I could pay for other things. (Okay, I'll leave this alone as is - because I'm sure it totally makes sense - and remind you that the disclaimer is more detailed in Chapter 1. Everything there is still accurate.)

Also, if you guys want to see anything specific, or have ideas for coming chapters, or there's something you're curious about, please let me know. This can only be so long if I have to go from my inspiration alone. And "my inspiration" is normally pretty thin, so... Help me out.

Will respond to review(s) at the bottom.

* * *

The next week was blowing past, and the transfers began to melt into their houses. Mostly. Jasper still hadn't gotten used to the intense generosity and politeness that seemed to drench most of the Hufflepuff house. Elisa was easily enjoying the extra energy the Gryffindors had to offer, but refused to give up her reading habit; the lions couldn't get her nose out of a book long enough to talk about, well, anything really. Amelia still didn't feel welcome, as while no one had been directly hostile toward her since that first night, there were still glares and strange silences. Max was getting used to the experiments that went on, and found himself suddenly able to sleep through almost anything.

But at meals it was uncomfortable. Instead of everything being different, as it was with different classes and different rooms, it was only different tables. They sat at their new places, and saw where they used to interact with others from a distance as they struggled to adjust to the new environment with their comfort zone at fingertip length. But no one complained, and no one moved to change it. The teaching staff that were paying attention could practically see the unrest in the students, but had no way to fix it.

It was Max who finally did something. It was supper on a Tuesday, and during a particularly tedious (in his opinion) discussion about one magical theory or another, Maxwell stood from his table, and approached the one littered with red. His next action surprised those few who were watching, because he didn't sit down with his friends as onlookers had suspected. He went straight for the only speck of blue at the table.

Max whispered something to Elisa. She looked up from her book for the first time that entire evening, and her eyes traveled first to Max, then the Hufflepuff table, and finally the Slytherin group. After a pause, she closed her book with a solid _thwap_.

Half of the Gryffindor table started, flinching away sharply, before staring at the closed novel that she left on the table as she stood. Elisa and Max then went over to Amelia. Elisa seemed to tell her something, and their gazes fell on Jasper, who was looking overwhelmed as quite a few people were talking to him at once. A small grin appeared on the younger girl's face, and they all trotted over to the previously-snake-now-badger. Amelia squeezed in next to a startled Jasper, gently nudging the other Hufflepuffs away from him. Max and Elisa did the same on the other side, sitting next to the oldest boy, but allowing him the elbow room he didn't have until that moment. Some Hufflepuffs were like tiny puppies; constantly at your heels if you were new.

And they began eating with each other, the mix of green, yellow, blue, and red an odd thing to see from the Head table, but none of the professors minded.

Jasper was breathless, his cheeks flushed. "Thank you." He told the other three. They grinned.

"No need to thank us. We need to stick together." Max said, thrusting out his hand.

Jasper eyed it, shock showing on his face. The lion was offering his hand. He suddenly remembered himself and took it firmly, the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry forgotten, if just for a moment.

"You know, all you have to do to keep them away is tell them." Amelia informed him. "I don't mean that you should be rude. But they would understand if you needed a break."

The boy smiled at the young girl. "Thanks for that."

She nodded. "Any time you need someone to do it for you, let me know."

"I'm surprised the teachers haven't told us off yet." Max said carefully, glancing at the head table in apprehension.

"I'm not." Elisa said, much to the small group's surprise. They turned to stare as a way to portray their confusion. She shrugged in response. "It doesn't say anywhere in the rule book that we have to sit with our houses. Not even on a regular day. It just said that we should during Sorting. The rest of the time, it's just easier for the Heads of the houses to keep track of us so the fact it isn't an established rule isn't widely spread. But most people don't even look past the initial rule to see that it doesn't apply on regular days anyway."

They blinked at her.

"Interesting fact." Jasper noted, and Max nodded his agreement.

"So you're saying that it says we can sit with anyone at any time?" Max wanted the clarification.

Elisa smirked. "No, it just doesn't say we can't."

The Griffinclaw grinned deviously. "Loop hole. I like it."

Amelia looked thoughtfully at the biscuit in her hand. "I say we sit together more often."

"That's a good idea. Are we thinking at the last meal of the day?" Jasper asked.

"We could alternate which table every day, that way." Elisa added.

Max nodded in agreement. "That sounds good to me."

"Then it's settled." The older three were startled to note the obvious relief on the little Hufflepuff-turned-snake's face as she said this. "Whose table should we sit at tomorrow?"

"Let's go in order. That would make tomorrow Ravenclaw, the next night Gryffindor, the one after Slytherin, and then we repeat."

"Good idea, Morgan." Jasper nodded. "Then we'll be able to keep track easier."

And thus an allegiance was born.

This resulted in more than just eating together. Soon they also met up in the library to study. And high-fived each other in the halls as they passed one another on their way to classes. And spent free-time with each other outside while the weather was still relatively warm. Their meetings every fortnight became every week after their second one, full of anecdotes of classes, and the ridiculousness of Professor Lockhart. They slowly went from allies to friends, the transition going unnoticed.

* * *

Jasper sneezed, and made a miserable noise at the back of his throat as he pulled his elbow away to find his robe covered in snot. He felt horrible; an annoying headache, stuffed sinuses, itching eyes… He wanted to go to Madame Pomfrey, but wasn't sure if getting a little sick would qualify as a reason. Everyone got sick. It would probably just waste her pepper-up potion.

He frowned; that was oddly selfless of him to think. Jasper glanced around at the warm golden glow of the Hufflepuff common room and sighed. They were affecting him.

"Jasper?"

He turned at the sound of his name to find a familiar face; the Hufflepuff prefect that had shown him around upon his first arrival. He offered a small wave of his hand as greeting.

She frowned deeply, concern widening her eyes. "You don't look so good. Are you feeling all right?"

He sniffed, and rubbed his nose with his robe; it was already covered in snot now, so he couldn't make it much worse. "Just caught something, I think."

The prefect tipped her head, eyeing him carefully. "No… puffy eyes… do they itch?"

"My eyes? A little, I suppose." He admitted.

"Do you have a headache?"

He shrugged. "A bit."

The prefect nodded slowly. "I need to take you to Madame Pomfrey."

"What?" Jasper froze. "Why?"

"It's an allergic reaction… lucky for us it isn't any worse. Yet. But it's been getting more severe as time passes. Come on, Jasper." She urged, nudging him lightly toward the door.

"What could I possibly be allergic to?" He asked, digging his heels in.

She put her hands on her hips. "Look around. A plant, obviously. Now come on."

"I have a class!" He objected.

"I'll inform the professor." She replied.

"You don't even know who it is." He countered.

"You're a fourth year; schedule says Professor Flitwick. He'll excuse you for today."

He stared at her as she opened the door and pushed him out, and in that moment he realized something. Or realized he didn't know something. And perhaps it was his clouded mind that allowed him to ask the question as soon as he thought it. "What's your name?"

She didn't tell him that he was a hopeless case because he'd forgotten it, or tease him about his bluntness. She didn't shake her head at how impolite it was to not remember when she obviously remembered his. She didn't accuse him of not caring enough to know. Instead, she gave him a kind smile and answered. "Bene."

* * *

Amy slid out from her covers, and went to her trunk to begin removing the books she would need for the day. Only to find her chest locked. Frowning, she sought the key; it was in the drawer of her nightstand. But even though the key fit into the lock, and it turned, the trunk still wouldn't open. She sat back for a moment, contemplating this.

"Having trouble, Ross?" Asked one of the other girls in her dorm, Lynne.

Amelia nodded. "It won't open."

"How unfortunate." Another student, her name Mavis, spoke from across the room by her own bed, her tone sarcastic.

Lynne knelt by the trunk. "The key isn't working?" when Amy shook her head, the other second year nodded hers thoughtfully. "Did you magically lock it?"

"My trunk? No. I have no reason to." Amy had a feeling she knew where this was going.

Lynne's words confirmed her suspicion. "If that is the right key, and it isn't working, it's because the chest is magically locked; you can only open it by magical means."

Amelia took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves as she pulled her wand from her sock, suddenly happy she didn't place it in the trunk with all of her other things. She didn't fail to notice Mavis' half-surprised, half-irritated look as she held up the maple wand. " _Alohamora_." She whispered, and heard a firm click. Smiling slightly, she lifted the lid.

And only had three seconds to be happy about her success when she noticed quite a few items missing.

"What's wrong?" Lynne asked, seeing her sad look.

Amy shook her head, catching Mavis' smirk over Lynne's shoulder. "Nothing, Lynne. Thank you very much for your help."

The brunette nodded her reply, and made her way to standing and get herself ready for the day.

* * *

Elisa stood back for a moment as her eyes caught sight of Amelia walking in the corridor intersecting hers, wanting to say hello. But she noticed that Amy wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and was looking at the ceiling instead. Elisa frowned before approaching the girl; she had ten minutes until her next class. "Amy, what are you doing?"

"What?" The Hufflyn looked to the Ravendor. "Oh! I, uh… I'm observing the architecture."

"You're observing the architecture?" Elisa repeated monotonously.

"Yup! It's beautiful. This castle is ancient. Sometimes I don't think we appreciate it enough." The blonde looked briefly back at the ceiling before returning her eyes to her fellow student. "How has your day been?"

"Decent." Elisa said, allowing the change in topic.

"Only decent?" Amy inquired.

"My first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts." Elisa shifted to heft one of the novels written by Lockhart farther onto her arm.

Amy looked both amused and sympathetic. "That's horrible. What was it today?"

Elisa sighed. "Mostly about vampires."

"Learn anything interesting?" Amy had to hope.

"Oh, of course. Professor Lockhart knew exactly what to do and when. He's a genius and has the best smile…" She said all of this in a mockingly airy voice, which dropped flat as she added "And I'm wasting precious brain space to attend his classes."

Amelia snorted before giggling. "No joke. If I pass any test this year relating to that class, I'll be impressed with myself." She gasped, a sudden thought occurring to her. "You've taken second-year defense classes!"

Elisa blinked. "Professor Quirrell had You-Know-Who attached to the back of his head. I really don't think he qualifies as an adequate teacher."

"He was more adequate than Lockhart." Amy deadpanned.

Elisa smirked. " _Touché_."

"So… I was thinking… Maybe you could tutor me?" Amy said hesitantly.

Elisa's smile vanished. "Sorry?"

"Well, I mean, you know what you're doing. And I actually want to learn." Amy told her.

The older girl understood this. In fact, every Ravenclaw did, and she couldn't help but sympathize with Amy's situation. She sighed deeply. "Alright. Fine. Free time, Wednesday mornings."

Amelia beamed. "Thank you so much!"

"We start next week." Elisa looked down the hall to where most of her classmates has vanished. "I need to get to my next class. See you tonight?"

When Amelia nodded in response, she watched the Ravendor walk off in the direction of the other Gryffindors in her year before sighing. Her next class was DADA. Technically, she didn't need any of those books, as they wouldn't teach her anything anyway. But her History of Magic textbook was missing as well, so on her way to class, she looked up, and around all over. Behind statues. Behind paintings. Around standing armor. The other side of tapestries. She began to wander away from her destination.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked.

Amelia turned sharply, her robes swirling about her as she faced the speaker. A Gryffindor, going by the color of his robes. But she didn't recognize him, even though he was old enough to be a fourth year. "Looking."

"For what?" He asked.

"My books."

He frowned. "Why would they be behind a statue?"

She hesitated. "Is this you offering to help me look, or are you just curious?"

The Gryffindor paused, gave her a thoughtful look, and then began walking away. "I have a class to get to."

Amelia watched him go, and sighed. Again. Of course he wouldn't help her. Everyone was busy today, not just her. And others had problems worse than lost text books.

"Hey, Ross." Amy turned her head at the greeting to find a fourth year Slytherin. She'd seen him before. What had his name been?

It came to her. "Hello, Rory."

He paused. "You actually remember my name?"

"I try to remember everyone's names." Amy told him.

Rory tipped his head in question, but didn't actually ask it. _Why?_ She smiled at him, and he shook his head. "I'm assuming you're looking for your books."

She straightened at his statement. "You know about that?"

"Seeing a group of second-years running out of the common room at six in the morning with a stack of books in hand is kind of hard to miss." He told her. "And it was only one stack, so they wouldn't have been studying."

Amelia tried not to look hopeful. "Do you happen to know where they went?"

Rory looked away from her, and down the hall. "I'm not certain, but I'll help you look after the next class ends. It's a bit of free time and then lunch, right?" When Amy nodded her head, he smiled at her. "I'll meet you outside of the Great Hall." And with that, he left.

Amy watched him go for a moment, before looking at her watch. Her eyes widened and she took off at a full sprint to try and make it to Defense Against the Dark Arts on time, as it was in an entirely different wing. She'd gotten so distracted, she'd nearly ended up lost.

* * *

Jasper took the medicine from Madame Pomfrey's outstretched hand. "Thank you, ma'am."

"I still don't think it's good that you're around… what plant is it that you are allergic to?" The aging witch asked.

Jasper shrugged a single shoulder and took the medicine in one gulp. It was mildly bitter, the aftertaste slightly garlic. "We can't figure it out. There are so many in the common room that it could be any of them." He paused thinking. "Well… not _any_ of them. Most of them my mother keeps in her garden and I've never had a problem before."

"But now you do." Pomfrey shook her head. "It's as soon as you walk through the door that it's the worst?"

"Every time." Jasper confirmed.

"Then I say after supper, you let me go with you and we figure it out."

The ginger student blinked owlishly at her for a long moment. "Why?"

She smiled at him. "My job as a healer is to confirm the health of my patients. Or, in this case, Hogwarts students. Allergy medicine will only get you so far. Removing the problem completely would be better for everyone in the long run." Pomfrey nodded, as if agreeing with herself. "And then we can figure out what you're allergic to, and keep you away from it in the future."

Jasper nodded wordlessly, not entirely sure what to say in return.

"I'll be in your common room by the time you get there tonight. Now go on. You'll miss lunch." She nudged him out of the door with a gentle hand to send him on his way.

Jasper was nearly to the Great Hall when he spotted Amy with a Slytherin he recognized; Rory Nelson. He never quite understood why the Sorting Hat put Nelson, of all people, into the snake house. He acted more like a Hufflepuff most of the time, and Jasper was happy to see that Amelia had found a friend in his classmate. Jasper had been worried that she wouldn't because of her blood status; the bias had increased tenfold when Draco Malfoy showed up. It was as if everyone was trying to outdo the other in showing the young Malfoy just how trustworthy they could be in their hatred of muggles. It was... unsettling.

But Amelia Ross looked calm around Nelson, so Jasper could only assume that they were friends. Ross, Jasper believed, could become anyone's friend if she was given enough time. It was a talent of hers. A talent he wished he had.

Jasper sighed deeply, and moved with the flow of the small group that was walking past him into the Great Hall. Those weren't thoughts for the present, and his mind was quickly distracted by the fragrance of the food already filling the tables. The meal to come held the rest of his attention.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Again, please give me ideas if there's anything specific you want to see; I can't guarantee I will use your idea, but I will credit you if I do, or if I'm inspired by it. Now Review Response!

 **Jahaha27:** Your comment made me laugh so very hard. As if you had not a single clue in the world... Of course, this is the only OC in this story you didn't technically help me with, isn't it? Janna is a fantastic name. I've always loved it, and I'm glad I finally had an opportunity to use it for a character that works well with it. You'll be seeing more of her. I promise.


	5. Open the Latch

A/N: I AM SO SORRY I'M LATE I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE. But life has been... life. And family takes priority over my stories... sorry, but that's just how it goes. Anyway, I'm here now, so we can get this straightened out. The longest chapter thus far for you, just because you've had to wait. But, quick note, this one takes place directly after the last one, and has no time jumps in it at all. Just... one straight sequence. So... sorry about that. No Max or Elisa making an appearance because there's something I need to make straight in the plot. I hope you enjoy it anyway, though!

And _how_ many followers? More people than I know irl that are reading this?! _WHAT IS THIS MADNESS_?! Thank you all so much for all of your follows/favorites/reviews! It means so much, seriously!

Also, this chapter is dedicated to jahaha27, who has been waiting for _this_ for a long time.

DISCLAIMER: Still no beta. See Chapter 1 for an in depth disclaimer, if you care all that much, because it still applies.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

They'd been scattered everywhere. Amelia wasn't amused. She'd had to look through half of the castle in order to get back all of her books, and it was only because Rory was tall that she'd been able to even reach some of them without assistance of magic. But, holding the final missing text in her hand – Charms – she couldn't help but feel accomplished, even if she was very annoyed by the entire situation.

She turned to hold the book in Rory's line of sight to confirm she had it. He smirked. "That's the last one, then?"

"Yup." She replied, casually making a _pop_ with her _p_. "Thank you so much for your help, Rory. I mean it."

"Not a problem, Ross." The older Slytherin replied with a tip of his head. "Are we headed for lunch, then?"

Amy dreaded the meal. Breakfast you could rush through; hurrying to get ready for classes. Supper was always nice lately; she shared the meals with her fellow transfers. But lunch held… unavoidable conflicts. She could feel every glare from the Slytherins that openly hated her. And every nervous, sideways glance from those who didn't only put her on edge. It had gotten easier when Lynne started sitting across from her, but the poor girl had yet to work up the courage of holding a conversation. Amy couldn't blame her. Not after the stunt her housemates pulled with her books.

"Yes." Amelia answered anyway. She was hungry.

They walked to the Great Hall silently. Upon entering, she saw the familiar sight of green, yellow, red, and blue spread out at their respected tables, and headed toward the Slytherins with slight hesitance. And it was obvious by the smiles, and looks that she noticed once she came closer, that while Amelia Ross wasn't amused by the incident with her books, many were.

Lifting her chin, and making sure to look as serious and unimpressed as she could when faced with the attention, she sat in her normal spot at the end of the table, and set her books down on her right.

And Rory sat on her left.

Slightly startled, as no one had willingly sat directly next to her at lunch, she could merely stare until her tongue began to work again. "What are you doing?"

Rory only glanced at her before adjusting his silverware. "Sitting."

"No, I mean… Why are you sitting next to me?" She asked.

He began loading food onto his plate, and Amy couldn't resist following his lead; the smell was intoxicating. It took him until after her second bite of a dinner roll to answer her question.

"The seat was empty."

She frowned. "There are a lot of empty seats."

"Yeah, well I wanted to sit next to you today." He took a bite from his ham sandwich he'd been compiling.

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend." He said through his mouthful.

She was very confused now. "When did we become friends?"

He swallowed the bite. "I thought Hufflepuffs liked having friends. I'm just being nice."

"And I thought everyone in the Slytherin house either hated me or avoided me like the plague." She fired back with surprising speed.

Rory opened his mouth to respond, then slowly closed it. Before opening it again. "Well, I guess it's not everyone."

She watched him take another bite of his sandwich, and looked past him to where a few Slytherins were glaring, Mavis and Malfoy among them.

Amelia smiled a little, and looked back at Rory. "You're right. I guess not everyone."

Lynne was suddenly running toward them, her brunette pigtails flying like flags behind her, and sat down across from Amy, looking as if she'd run across the entire castle grounds before reaching them.

"Lynne, what happened?" Amelia asked, concerned.

The brunette huffed and puffed. "I didn't… want… to miss the… jam." She managed through her heavy breathing, pulling a large jar off of one of the massive dinner platters and removing the lid.

"The jam?" Rory sounded confused.

Lynne grabbed a spoon and stuffed it into the jar before removing it full of the deep purple-red of grape jam. "The jam." She confirmed before putting the spoon in her mouth without delay or ceremony.

Amelia and Rory traded a half-amused, half-confused look. "Does that… taste good?" The former asked hesitantly.

Lynne froze with the spoon half out of her mouth, eyes wide. Quickly she removed the utensil completely and swallowed her bite. "I'm sorry, that was probably a bit eccentric." She muttered. "But I really love the jam, and one of the house elves was kind enough to make sure there was some today when I asked. I didn't want to miss it."

Amy laughed. "Well, I'm glad you made it. Are you going to eat the entire jar by yourself?"

Lynne hesitated, the spoon hovering just over the top of the container. "Did you want some?"

"No, thank you." The Hufflyn said. "I was just a little concerned about you getting a stomach ache."

Lynne frowned. "But jam is healthy!"

"Too much of anything is bad for you." Rory recited.

The brunette Slytherin sighed deeply and let the spoon fall into the jar with a _plunk_. "I'll just… take it with me. Then I won't be eating it in one sitting. And it will be healthy?" The last sentence had started as a statement, but turned into a question near the end by the heightening of her voice and a glance at Rory for confirmation.

The fourth year sighed. "That would be better for you, yes." But he seemed reluctant to share the information.

Lynne grinned widely, and looked down the table at the other Slytherins. Her face fell and she looked hard at the jar in front of her, the skin of her face going slightly pale.

Amy didn't spare the other side of the table a glance, but instead leaned closer to Lynne. "If you need to move, you can."

"But Amy, I…" Lynne trailed off and sighed. "I like you."

"And I like you." Amy told her. "But I don't want you getting any of this negative treatment, okay? Not over me."

Lynne looked up from her jar, her eyes wide. "But you don't deserve it either."

Amy straightened herself. "I'm a muggleborn in a pureblood house. I didn't really expect anything different to happen." _I was just hoping it wouldn't_ , she added in her mind.

"But… Amy, you're not the only…" Lynne bit her lip, and glanced at Rory.

Amy followed her line of sight to see Rory looking incredibly uncertain. He looked around and then back at the Hufflyn next to him. "There's something you should know, but we can't discuss it here." He said. "So go ahead and eat, and we'll tell you after we've left the Hall."

Amelia gave him a questioning look, but he ignored it, turning his full attention back to his sandwich. Lynne went back to her jam, but also grabbed a slice of the ham to eat as well. Amy could barely eat anything, the curiosity and nerves keeping her throat shut, and her mouth unwilling to open.

But she finished her roll, and also her own piece of the roasted ham before Rory stood. Students were already beginning to leave the Great Hall in favor of spending their time in other places. Only half of the Slytherin table remained when Rory stepped away. Lynne quickly followed, jar of jam in hand, and Amy right after her. The last of them grabbed her tall stack of books before going along.

They were silent as the exited the dining area, and Amelia caught sight of Jasper leaving, the telltale yellow-green mix capped with ginger hair giving him away on the other side of a group of Slytherins gathered outside of the massive set of double doors. She smiled. "Hold on, you two." Amy told them, and tried to make her way in the transfer's direction. But he was moving fast, and she wanted to say hello. So she tried calling him to get his attention.

"Jas— _oof_!" Halfway through his name, her foot connected with something hard enough to trip her. All of her recently re-acquired books scattered on the polished floor. Some even ended up open and upside-down with the pages all awkwardly bent in on themselves.

There was sniggering to her left, from the group of students, and as she made her way to standing she caught sight of Draco Malfoy, feigning her fall in a mocking and over dramatic way. Her ears burned with both embarrassment and fury as the group actually burst out laughing at his horrible reenactment.

She stumbled to standing and glared, until her eyes caught sight of an incredibly-apologetic Michael Fortis. The same kid who had tried to defend her on her first day in Slytherin. Her face softened, and Amy turned to the mess that was her books to pick them up.

Rory and Lynne were already at it, Jasper helping along; he'd heard the crash and the laughter and had turned to look. Now the group of laughing students began to walk away, leaving them entirely without even a second glance backward.

Amy lifted the book closest to her and attempted to smooth out the pages; it was one that had landed open. When she went to go close it, a torn piece of parchment seemed magically glued to the inside of the cover. There was a name written there, the handwriting itself beautiful in the sense that the writer must have often used a quill pen.

 _Mudblood_ was scrawled in black ink.

Amy scowled and snapped the book shut, attempting to ignore it. Her hands were shaking. Either from the scare that was her fall or from her frustration, she hadn't the faintest idea.

"How about we help you carry these back to the common room." Jasper suggested, suddenly at her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

She looked up at him gratefully. "I'm fine. I was on my way to say hello to you."

He smirked. "Well… Hello, Ross."

"I didn't know you had a nickname, Wilf." Rory said, carrying one of the books that had skid across the smooth flooring. He gently took the single book from Amy and added it to his own pile.

Jasper frowned. "What nickname?"

Rory smiled. "Jazz. Amy called you by it just a moment ago, hadn't she?"

Suddenly, Amy could easily ignore what had just happened, her face openly displaying her absolute excitement over what Rory had just accidentally come up with. She looked at Jasper, who was appearing more horrified by the second.

"Jazz!" She said enthusiastically.

Jasper looked at her with wide eyes. "No! No, no, no, no, we are _not_ picking _that_."

"But I can't come up with anything else!" Amelia pouted.

"Well, I guess I just won't have one."

"But Jasper—"

"No." He interrupted.

"Elisa, Max—"

" _No_!"

"Amy, and Jazz!" She finished. "We can all have one!"

He looked at the happiness that sparkled in her chocolate-brown eyes and sighed deeply, closing his own eyes tightly and tipping his head to the sky as if praying for some deity to rescue him from the situation. "You know what? Fine. But you will not say it out loud. Ever. Not even once." Jasper told her.

She was hopping around on her toes before he'd even finished speaking, and now squealed excitedly. "We all have nicknames now!"

Jasper shook his head, but couldn't help his slowly growing smile as she danced around him in a circle to express her happiness. Hufflepuffs were so quirky.

"What… just happened?" Rory asked, taking two Lockhart books from Lynne to hold them himself.

Amy launched into an explanation before Jasper could even open his mouth. "The day all of us transfers met on our way to Dumbledore's office, I discovered that we each had a nickname, except for Jasper; Elisa for Elisabeth, Max for Maxwell, and Amy for Amelia. But Jasper didn't have one, so I've been trying to come up with one but it's practically impossible to find, so I was going to ask for his second name next. But instead, you came up with one for me, though he obviously doesn't like it. But I really do!" All of this was practically said in one breath, though no one listening was entirely sure how. "So thank you, Rory."

Rory smiled. "Glad I could help." He offered Jasper an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, mate."

Jasper shook his head. "It was inevitable that she would find something eventually."

"Oh, don't look so down." Lynne said. "Jazz is a wonderful nickname."

Amy smiled dreamily. "Like the music."

Rory nodded thoughtfully. "One of the few music styles invented by muggles."

They all stood still for a moment, when Amy turned to face Jasper fully. "How are you feeling?"

"What? Why?" He asked.

"You haven't been looking very well lately, but you look a bit better now. Getting over something?" She asked.

Jasper frowned at her. "I went to Madame Pomfrey and got something for my allergy."

"They didn't remove the plant itself?" Amy asked.

"We have to figure out what it is, first." He told her. "That will be done tonight after supper."

She nodded her head in approval. "Good."

Jasper looked at the books in his hands, and made a disgusted face at the one on top. "Ugh, I can't stand Lockhart."

"I'm not sure anyone can." Rory agreed readily.

"But Harry Potter hates him the most." Lynne muttered softly.

They all turned to her, but Amy was the one who asked. "Why Harry Potter?"

The brunette shrugged. "You've seen him in class. Professor Lockhart keeps using him as an example."

Amy nodded her head. She'd always felt horrible for Harry; the lack of privacy and massive attention couldn't be a comfortable way to live. But this year was exceptionally bad with Professor Lockhart as an instructor, as the smiling, narcissistic egomaniac was always drawing him into everything and emphasizing Harry's fame. And it was obvious the Potter didn't like it.

"Well, at least nothing has gone horribly wrong yet." Rory said with a mildly jovial tone.

Lynne turned to him, horrified. "You did _not_ just say that."

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You're tempting fate, and that is a dangerous thing to do." Lynne scolded as well as she could.

Rory shrugged. "Harry Potter's first year ended with the return of You-Know-Who."

"Those are just rumors." Jasper disagreed. "It was never confirmed."

"You mean Voldemort, right?" Amy asked.

All three of them gasped. Lynne paled so fast, Amelia was worried she would faint. "Don't say his name."

"Elisa says it." Amy said with a frown.

"Elisa doesn't know about him." Jasper argued.

Amy's frown deepened. She recalled the first time the Ravendor had said the name of this feared Dark Lord. Amelia had been surprised, because Elisabeth was a half blood. But the girl had been firm in her choice, and had even said it freely just that morning. "Elisa knows a lot. And she told me that, even as twisted and sick as his ideals were, he was still a human being. And capable of defeat."

"Yeah, well not everyone agrees." Rory said carefully. "So just… don't go around saying the name often. It makes people uncomfortable, even if they don't actually fear him. Okay?"

Amy looked at her shoes and nodded her head.

"Good. Well… let's get your books back to your dorm, and you and Lynne can head to your next class, okay?" Rory said.

Jasper nodded in agreement with the plan, and passed the text books in his hand to Amy, knowing he couldn't follow them. "And try to keep your feet under you this time." He teased lightheartedly.

Jasper had turned and left, giving Rory and Lynne a parting nod, so he didn't catch Amy's tiny wince. She knew what had actually tripped her, and it hadn't been her own feet. It had been someone else's. The thought put her back into her darker mood, Jasper's new nickname going to the back of her mind as Rory and Lynne led the way back toward the dungeons.

"I think it might be best if you try and explain." Rory suddenly said to Lynne while they were in an empty hall.

The younger girl looked surprised. "But… I barely know anything about it."

"Then ask me questions later that you don't know the answer to." She still looked hesitant, so he added "You can be alone with her and it won't be suspicious."

Amelia looked between them, confusion evident, when it suddenly occurred to her that they had jumped back toward the subject of conversation they had been on before Amy took a tumble.

Lynne took a deep breath. "Oh, fine. Give me the books."

Rory looked slightly amused at the commanding tone of the second-year, but handed her the books without complaint. He then turned in the opposite direction and left them walking on their own, sparing Amy a reassuring smile as he made eye contact.

Amelia followed Lynne silently as the girl approached the wall that was the hidden entrance to Slytherin common room. " _Clavem_." It was the password for the week, and the entrance opened.

Lynne didn't even spare the room a glance as they walked straight to the dorm. Once inside, Lynne allowed Amy to enter, and then closed the door firmly behind her and turned back. Every move was deliberate, as if Lynne was trying to convince herself that she had a confidence she was lacking.

Amy inserted her text books back into her trunk, and took the rest of the books from Lynne to do the same. Once that was finished, the blonde turned to find Lynne seated on her bed, ringing her hands in an open display of her nervousness. So Amy went and sat next to her.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine." Amy said softly.

Lynne was already shaking her head. "No. No, you deserve to know. But… you can't tell anyone. That's why we have to tell you in secret, because no one can know. I mean… they couldn't before, but _especially_ not with a Malfoy attending Hogwarts!"

"Hey, it's okay, Lynne." Amy tried to calm her classmate. "Just take it slowly. What is it that you need to tell me?"

The brunette Slytherin took a deep breath. And in the exhale, she formed a sentence. "There are other muggleborns in Slytherin."

It was said so quickly, it could have been mistaken for a single word. But Amy understood well enough to separate them in her mind. "What do you mean?"

"There are muggleborns in Slytherin that aren't you." Lynne said, slower this time, gaining calm now that the initial task was complete. "I'm… I'm muggleborn." She whispered it softly, glancing periodically at the door.

Amelia blinked. "Then why is there such a prejudice?"

"It didn't exist. Not way back when. Salazar didn't hate muggleborns, he just didn't trust us. So he didn't want to teach us. Slowly, people leaned toward that meaning he hated us and muggles, and the prejudice grew and grew until no one could tell that there was something else to begin with." Lynne admitted. "But Rory said when Malfoy started coming, the problem multiplied. As if people were trying to show him just how much they could hate muggles."

Amy eyes widened. "That's awful."

Lynne nodded her agreement. "But because it's so intense these days, it's even more important that we hide our statuses. You couldn't, because you came from a different house. I could because I started here. Rory told me about the prejudice, and warned me to tell whomever asked that I'm a half blood."

"Is Rory muggleborn, too?" Amelia asked.

Lynne shook her head. "No. He's a half blood, but he supports us, and helps find those people Malfoy calls 'muggle-lover'."

Amy was mildly impressed by such a well-kept secret, but then recalled who exactly she was speaking of. The cunning, ambitious, innovative muggleborns that are a part of an already-secret society mostly separate from the regular humans of the world. The concept wasn't nearly as impossible as she had initially thought. "How many of you are there?"

Lynne frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. Quite a few, I think. We don't meet up, it's just sort of… I think there's a word, or sign you can make that's really subtle. I haven't learned it, mostly because I haven't asked to. Rory just points a few of them out to me so that, if I need help, I can go to them."

The Hufflyn looked out at the rest of their room. "This is… well, I guess it's not that surprising. Muggleborns can easily share every single trait of the Slytherin house. No question."

Lynne smiled, and ducked her head modestly. "Well, I like to think so."

Amy smiled kindly at her, before looking at her watch and standing abruptly. "We're going to be late!" She grabbed Lynne's hand and pulled her to and out the door, flying down the hall. The pigtailed brunette and the curly blonde second-years ran, hand-in-hand, all of the way to their next class.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it. I know the ending is a bit rushed, but I wanted this chapter out as quickly as possible. In the next few chapters, we'll see what exactly Jasper is allergic to, and a bit of what's going on with Elisabeth and Maxwell. I'll say again that if you have anything specific you would like to see, please let me know.

Also, jahaha27, I hope it was up to your standards. :)

Catch you later


	6. About to Attach

A/N: Two weeks... how dare I? But I'm afraid it will probably have to move to every two weeks instead of weekly... I'm now in college, and I have my first exam next week. And, sadly, my future comes before my fandom. Too bad they can't be linked, right? Also... I have something else in the works that has grabbed my attention. So I will be working on that at the same time as this.

Disclaimer: It's still identical to the one in chapter one. I'm too lazy to type it all out again. Basically, I own naught but the OCs. And even then, they were co-created by jahaha27, so I can't claim them entirely as my own. (I would check her stuff out, by the way. She's got brilliant ideas)

On to the story! I know it's kind of short, but I wanted it out as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!

* * *

"Are you sure you recognize all of these?" Madame Pomfrey asked him.

Jasper nodded his head in confirmation; all of the plants present were pretty basic ones used either in potions or as food. Not toxic to the touch or to eat, a habit his mother had kept for her garden ever since Jasper was really young and there'd been a close call with a few magical beans.

The Hufflepuff common room was just starting to fill now, as the last meal of the day had been finished for a while. Black and yellow cloaks flooded the area as Madame Pomfrey and Jasper hunted for the plant the latter was allergic to, with the help of Professor Sprout.

The Head of the Hufflepuff house looked around thoughtfully. "Then maybe it's the muggle plants."

Jasper frowned at her. "Muggle plants?"

"Well, just last spring, I added a few plants that we as wizards don't normally use. Just to supply my students with more variety, and the opportunity to learn something new." Pomona explained. "So maybe it's one of those."

Madame Pomfrey tipped her head in agreement. "Perhaps. Where are they?"

Professor Sprout smiled a little, and pointed up.

Both Jasper and Madame Pomfrey lifted their eyes to the high ceiling and discovered it speckled with the blossoms of drying plants. Some were already crisp, while others looked rather fresh. They decorated the room with extra color, now that Jasper was aware of them. He seldom looked up, as there was no reason to normally. But the pink and blue and purple hues that added themselves to the room as he now saw it as a whole could no longer be ignored. There were dozens of bundles.

Madame Pomfrey sighed at the sheer number of potential candidates for the poor Slytherpuff's allergy. "We'll take you off of the medicine, and remove one plant at a time." She decided. "When you stop reacting, we will know which one it is."

"But… won't I just be completely miserable until we find out?" He asked.

The nurse nodded her head, conceding the point. "Come see me after breakfast; that will give you plenty of time to figure out if it is still present. If you're beginning to feel the affects, I'll give you the medicine."

"Thank you for your help, Madame Pomfrey." Jasper said with a small bow.

"It's not a problem, Mr. Wilf." She assured him, before leaning closer and whispering "It's never a problem to insure your health. We'll get this figured out. Don't worry."

His mouth lifted slightly at the corner. "Thank you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Pomona." The older witch said before leaving the Hufflepuff common room.

Professor Sprout sighed deeply. "I'm sorry that this is an issue you're having, Mr. Wilf."

Jasper shook his head. "It isn't that much of an issue. It's just… sometimes uncomfortable."

"I'm sure that was supposed to make me feel better." She chuckled. "But this was supposed to be a _positive_ experience."

"Who said it isn't?" He asked. "I'm learning a lot about this house. And people. I sometimes forget that students can be kind to one another. But… watch Macmillan go on and on about how excited he is for cookies, and then giving his last one away to a Ravenclaw… Or Bene leading a lost Gryffindor to their class… honestly, professor, it's been a pleasure. And it hasn't even been two months yet."

Pomona looked near tears for some reason unknown to Jasper, but the woman held herself together. "Thank you so very much for that, Mr. Wilf." She smiled. "Are you sharing those things with the other transfers?"

"Yes, I am." He informed her. "And more."

"How are they all doing?" She wanted to know.

Jasper hesitated. "I think everyone really likes their houses. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Well, Ross hasn't said anything…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue, or if he even should.

Pomona Sprout looked him straight in the eye. "What did Ms. Ross do?"

"Nothing, Professor." Jasper said quickly. "It isn't a fact of what Amy has done, and I honestly don't think it's even an actual problem. More of something I'm beginning to suspect but probably isn't there at all. Nothing for me to see, but I'm seeing it anyway." He was conscious of his rambling, but discovered he couldn't stop it easily. "Tiny, little, insignificant things that could be totally normal and I've never noticed before."

"Mr. Wilf, if you have a concern, I would like to hear it. Even if it's found to be false in the end." She said softly, before he could continue. "Better safe than sorry, as they say."

He sighed. "I talked to a friend of mine. He mentioned that a group of Slytherin students stole and hid Amy's textbooks this morning. Could have just been a harmless prank to the Hufflepuff that snuck their way in." Jasper said hesitantly.

"But you don't think it was a harmless prank?" She wanted to know his opinion.

He shrugged. "Honestly, Professor, it could have been."

"What is it that's giving you doubts?" Sprout asked.

"She tripped today, just after lunch. Her books spilled everywhere… I didn't see it until after it happened, but there was… Um…" He couldn't say that Draco Malfoy was there. That would be signing his own death certificate; he was still a part of Slytherin, and his family was still under the influence of Draco's. Swapping houses for a year wasn't enough to change that. "Someone I recognized off to the side," he settled with eventually. "Making a joke of it. I've never seen Amy so angry. In fact, I've never even seen her get angry. Not until today."

Professor Sprout nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for telling me this."

Something about her tone… Jasper didn't like it. "It could be absolutely nothing, Professor." He repeated unnecessarily. If she thought so, she probably would have said.

"Don't you worry about it now, Mr. Wilf." She told him. "I'm not going to do anything yet." Pomona took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm giving you this responsibility, but please let me know if anything else comes up."

Jasper found himself nodding before she even finished her sentence. "I will. I promise."

She smiled sadly at him. "I must thank you again, then."

They ended the conversation there, each going their own separate way.

* * *

All Elisabeth Morgan had wanted was a quiet day. That was why she hadn't gone to Hogsmeade with the rest of her class. That was why she was tucked away in a practically hidden part of the library. And that was why she'd made sure to grab two books, instead of just the one she was reading currently. That way, if she were to finish reading one, she wouldn't have to leave her spot to get the next one. It was foolproof.

That was what she'd thought at least.

"Wow, she's really lost in it, Fred."

Elisa blinked, and stared harder at her page, trying to comprehend the words that had been playing like a film in her head only moments before as they once again slipped to their original forms of black ink splotches on a cream page.

"I'd say so, George." Replied a voice that was nearly identical.

"Maybe she's stuck in there."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, we've tried talking to her and she's totally ignored us."

"Or maybe we just don't have a way with girls."

"Are you kidding? We're the best with girls."

"If that were the case, then you would know to leave me in peace." Elisa finally added into the conversation without lifting her eyes from the page. She knew who would be there. The Weasley twins, their ginger shocks of hair just as identical as their freckled faces.

"Aw, come on, Elisa. It can't be anywhere near as exciting in there as it is out here." One of them, probably Fred, attempted to persuade.

She smirked at that, and closed her book gently.

Both twins twisted their heads to read the title. " _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_?" George asked. Probably. She'd lost track of them again.

"Yes."

"Just a plain old lion?" asked the other. "And what's the deal with the wardrobe."

"You've never read anything by C. S. Lewis." She stated the fact with a realization that her love for the magic described in the series was equal to her love of it in the real world – the realm of Narnia was, so far, her favorite fictional world to spend time in – but the Weasley brothers had never experienced that same, delightful adventure.

"No, though I'm sure he's a nice enough bloke." Was the reply. Then they both stepped closer. "Hey, listen, we were wondering—"

"No." She cut him off instantly, knowing where he was directing the conversation.

"But just a little bit of—"

"No." She interrupted the second.

"Please, Elisa." They asked in unison.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked into their pleading brown ones. At first, she hadn't been able to figure out what had caused her to help them the first time. But now… she'd seen the direct effect each prank had on the morale of the school. Elisabeth sighed deeply in resignation. This was going to ruin her.

"Fine." She muttered.

"Yes!" They both exclaimed.

"With you helping us,"

"We won't even be around to get caught when it happens!"

"You see, we're having trouble with delaying the magic,"

"And setting it for a specific time."

"So that we can be on the opposite end of the castle,"

"Setting up a different prank entirely,"

"And be seen in the Great Hall when both go off!"

They were doing that thing were one would start a sentence, and the other would finish it, each going back and forth on the same piece of dialogue. Elisabeth silently suffered with her spinning head. "What are you even planning on doing?" She asked, then lifted her hand to stop them from answering. "No, wait, I don't want to know. Just… how much exactly do you want to delay it?"

* * *

"So… there are a lot of us?" Amy asked carefully.

Rory looked around them again, casually completing a three-hundred-sixty degree turn as they walked down the hall. Amy had wanted to know more about the muggleborns in Slytherin, and singled out Rory Nelson as he returned from Hogsmeade. He was double checking to make sure they weren't overheard, she knew.

"Well, I wouldn't say a lot. But there are more than most would expect. Counting you, we have seventeen spread through all of the classes." He answered, keeping his voice neutral in tone and volume.

"If there are so many, then why isn't it known yet?" Amy kept her voice quiet.

"Whispering draws attention." He told her, as a way of telling her not to. "People are inclined to listen more carefully to whispering voices than regular ones."

"Why?" She asked, at regular volume this time.

"Because we're a nosy bunch, us humans." He answered. "But back to your question; pure bloods hold a massive amount of political power. Even though they're technically the minority now."

"Why?"

"Because they're incredibly rich. And their families have been a part of what makes up our government for centuries." Rory admitted.

"You know a lot about this." Amy mentioned.

"My mum is a pureblood." He said.

"How many pureblood families are there?" Amelia wanted to know.

"Not nearly as many as everyone thinks." Rory told her. "In fact, I'm related to both Wilf and Fortis."

"You… you're related to Jasper?" Amy asked, confusion in her voice.

"I'm his father's second cousin's great nephew in law." Rory said.

"And Michael?" She inquired.

"We're cousins."

"Just cousins?"

He laughed a little at that. "Yeah, just cousins."

Amy smirked and they walked a little longer, headed in the direction of the Great Hall. "I think it's nearly supper." He said.

She looked at her watch, and shrugged. "That depends on what you mean by nearly. We've got an hour yet."

"Today has been moving slowly." He remarked casually.

She nodded her agreement. It had been a quiet day for her as well. Mostly studying, and practicing her charms. She'd been doing better in class because of her practicing, but she could never quite figure it out on her own. It was as if she could only accomplish it when under the gaze of a teacher, which could be problematic in the future, she knew.

"We could head that way anyway." Rory said. "Which table are you at tonight?"

"Hm?" Amy drew herself from her thoughts, and the sound of confusion allowed her a few extra seconds to fully process the question. "Oh, I think it's Hufflepuff." She felt a little fuzzy inside as she thought of the idea of sitting with her sunshine-yellow friends.

"I think that's Johnson." Rory pointed across from her toward the opposite side of the hall. Sure enough, there was a brunet in blue and black robes with a red patch on the front.

She grinned, and waved. "Hello, Max!"

The Gryffinclaw looked her direction, and began walking toward her. They met up in the middle of the corridor, Rory at Amy's heels. The transfer looked at the Slytherin boy with skepticism in his gaze. "Hello, Amy."

But he still wasn't looking at Amy, even when he greeted her. He was looking at Rory. Amelia sighed; she'd forgotten Max was originally a Gryffindor, and therefore forgot about the rivalry entirely. "Rory Nelson, this is Max Johnson. Max, this is Rory. Be nice."

"Nice?" Max asked.

"Civil." Amy bargained.

Max sighed and held out his hand. Rory looked at it skeptically. "You don't have one of those gloves I saw the Weasley twins carrying around, do you? The ones that zap you?"

This, for some reason, made Max grin widely. "Is that why everyone is always so terrified to shake my hand?"

Rory smiled back. "Something like that." He grasped the other boy's hand and shook it firmly. "A pleasure to meet you, Johnson."

"Likewise, Rory."

Amy smiled. This was going rather well. But they were, of course, both good people as far as she could tell. It wasn't incredibly likely that they would have gotten into an argument. For some reason, though, boys from Slytherin and Gryffindor were always at each other's throats. It was almost painful to watch. She was just glad that, in that moment, they weren't.

"What's the time?" Max asked Amy.

She smirked. "Time for you to get a wristwatch!" The joke was followed by her giggle.

Max shook his head before looking at her with an amused form of exasperated fondness. "How long until supper?"

Amy checked. "Almost fifty minutes."

Max looked around. "You know what? I'm going in. I want to be there as soon as food shows up."

"Hungry then?" Amy asked.

"Starving." Max replied. "Where are we sitting?"

"Er… Hufflepuff." Amy said. "I think."

"Then I'm off. Again, it was nice to meet you, Rory." Max said.

"The pleasure was all mine." The Slytherin responded.

Amy hesitated. "I'm… going to go sit with Max."

"All right." Rory nodded. "Have fun." He began to walk away. "Oh, and tell Jazz I said hello!"

Amy froze, staring at the older Slytherin's retreating back. Maybe Max hadn't heard it. Maybe she was lucky enough, just this once, to have this go over as absolutely nothing.

"Jazz?" Max asked. "Who's Jazz?"

Or maybe not. Amy stared, for a moment no words would come. "Uh, he meant Jasper."

Max nodded slowly. "Right. But Jazz… I thought he said he didn't have a nickname."

"He didn't – doesn't!" Amy corrected quickly as she inwardly cursed her inability to lie. Why did keeping a promise have to always intersect with lying? That was just unfair to the highest degree.

"Well, I think Jazz is perfect. Don't you?" Max said energetically. "And then we'll all have nicknames, which is what you wanted, right?"

"Well…" She whispered softly.

Too softly to be heard, apparently, as Max continued. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"I can guarantee he won't." Amy said.

Max paused, and looked at the blonde's hesitant expression as if actually considering her response, before giving a casually dismissive wave of his hand. "Nah, it'll grow on him."

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Again, I'm sorry this was late, and I'm sorry the rest will have to be stretched out... But I _will_ get it written.

Catch you later


	7. The Perfect Match

A/N: I know this is late, and I'm _so_ sorry, but it couldn't be helped. It's here now, though! (Yay?) We're nearing the actual _Chamber of Secrets_ arc, but haven't quite gotten there yet... this chapter is tense, I'll be honest. Mostly because it was incredibly frustrating to write. But enough of my delaying the inevitable.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. In fact, he hasn't even actually shown up yet. Only mentioned a few times, poor kid. The main character and barely in it so far. He'll come around eventually... and you know the rest. I'm an American with no beta, etc. I won't bore you; it's the same as chapter 1. But I do apologize ahead of time for any grammar mistakes. This one was posted without delay.

On to the chapter!

* * *

"Hello, Jazz!" Max greeted as Jasper sat next to him on the bench, a smirk present on his face.

Jasper stared for a long moment before turning to where Amy sat on the Gryffinclaw's opposite side with a heavy glare.

The hostility in such an expression shocked her. Especially since it was coming from Jasper, who had been so even-tempered the entire time she'd known him.

"Whoa, mate, that's a strong look." Max mentioned.

The ginger kept it firmly on his face, silently demanding an explanation from Amy.

"It wasn't me who told. I promised, remember?" She snapped, crossing her arms defensively.

The Slytherpuff's look softened into an expression of minor irritation. "Right, sorry. Where did you hear that, Max?"

"The name?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to the irritation still present in his fellow exchange student. "A friend of yours from Slytherin."

Jasper looked confused now. "A _friend_ from Slytherin?"

"Rory? Don't know if you know him, but I should thank him. It's a great name. I like it."

"Well, I don't." Jasper mentioned.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad."

" _Not that_ —" Jasper started loudly, then looked around to see if his moment of shouting drew any attention. Only a few looks, thank goodness. He continued quieter. "Not that bad? It's _terrible_."

Amy shrunk into her seat, but said nothing.

"And I'll be stuck with it if you keep—"

"Come on, _Jazz_ —" Max cut him off, but Jasper quickly returned the favor.

"None of that! Don't say it so loud." He whispered harshly, before shaking his head and staring hard at the table in front of him.

"What's so bad about it?" The Gryffinclaw wanted to know.

"It's just so… _childish_." Jasper said. "An incredibly degrading name for a Wilf to have."

Max leaned away now, looking nearly down his nose at the ginger upon hearing his words. Things had been going really well in their nearly-friendship. Max was just managing to get along with the previously-Slytherin, ultimately deciding to ignore the fact the other boy had come from that house. But that sentence… It was implying something Max really didn't like. It held that air of superiority that hadn't been present in the pure-blood until just that moment.

Jasper, upon not receiving a response, looked up. "What?" He asked hotly.

Max frowned. "Degrading for a Wilf, eh?"

Jasper's annoyed look slowly melted off of his face as his brain finally processed what his tongue had said. He quickly caught on to why Maxwell was suddenly distant. "Look, I didn't mean it that way."

"And how exactly _did_ you mean it?" Max asked, though he found he didn't really care.

"Max, can we just drop it, please?" Amy asked, making her presence known by her shaking voice.

But the Gryffinclaw felt the Gryffindor rise up in him, in the face of a Slytherin. Someone declared his enemy from the moment his robes were red. This was what caused him to ignore the subtle urge in his gut to pull away. To change the subject. To defuse the situation with a joke of some kind.

Instead, he simply stared hard at the ginger, waiting for the pure-blood to make his move.

Jasper stared back, his heartrate picking up easily in the face of a situation he'd wished to avoid from day one. "It's…" He sighed. "It's habit."

"Oh, I see." Max crossed his arms. "It's _habit_ to shove your supremacy in other's faces."

Jasper looked offended, and Amy quickly cut in. "Max, that's not what he was saying at all and you know it." She leaned forward to better emphasize her point.

Max glared at her. "Why are you taking _his_ side?"

"Because he's our _friend_!" Amy defended, exasperated.

"Yeah, well… I don't see him acting like one."

"If it's about that comment about my family…" Jasper tried.

"No, it's not just that, _Wilf_." Max added emphasis to the name to make it sound something like an insult. "In the length of this conversation, I've noticed something." He directed his gaze at Amy. "What was this I heard about a promise?"

Amy blinked, and tried to recall anything having to do with a promise ever since they'd all met up. "Um… Oh!" Understanding struck. "I had promised him I wouldn't use his nickname."

"Why?" Max asked.

"Because he didn't like it." Amy answered simply.

"So, just to make sure we're clear; you promised Jasper that you wouldn't use the nickname because you knew he didn't like it." Max repeated.

Amy frowned. "Yes?"

"And you." Max looked at Jasper. "I come over here, a harmless nickname on my tongue, and your first instinct is to do what?" It was rhetorical, and they all knew it, so they waited for Max to answer himself. "Glare at Amy."

Jasper looked past the younger boy to the blonde, who was looking at Jasper apologetically. But this just left Jasper puzzled; what did _she_ have to be sorry for?

"Even though she'd _promised_ , and had actually told me more than once that you didn't like the name after I found out about it, your _first_ instinct was to direct your anger at her. Why?" Max asked.

"I was the only one with you who knew about it." Amy tried to deflect the conversation. "It's a sensible reaction."

Max frowned at her, and looked to Japer. "Well? Why?"

Jasper was, in a hyphened combination of words, tongue-tied. But eventually he managed "As she said."

"He did apologize." Amy mentioned, thinking that everything on both sides was being blown way out of proportion.

"And it's not like you're entirely faultless, either." Jasper mentioned to Max. "You say she'd told you plenty of times before you arrived that I didn't like to be called Jazz. So, what, you decide to anyway? Why?" He didn't wait for the Gryffindor to answer for himself. "Because you thought it would be funny. Typical Gryffindor. Poking fun where you shouldn't, just for your own entertainment."

"Typical Slytherin; blaming a muggleborn for your problems." Max shot back.

" _I_ didn't bring Ross into this. _You_ did." Jasper snapped.

Amy slammed her fist into the table in front of Max, causing both boys to flinch. " _Enough_!" She snapped, her brows drawn together, and her jaw set in a firm line. But her eyes were filling with tears. She stood. "You're both being ridiculous." Amy began to walk past them.

Max reached out and grabbed the large sleeve of her robe. "Wait!"

She turned to him, a questioning look on her face.

Max was lost for any words to say. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Amy looked at the nearly-full Great Hall and pulled her sleeve from his hand. "I'll skip, thanks." Both boys watched her leave, unsure of what to do or whether they should stop her.

* * *

Amelia felt… torn, as she left them. Everything went downhill so quickly. It was startling. In hindsight, she should have known it would happen sooner or later; Slytherins and Gryffindors never mixed well. The bias was an intense one. And a pointless one. Especially since technically neither boy was a member of their original houses. But old habits would die hard, she supposed.

Her forward progress was stopped by none other than a blonde head over black and green shoulders, with two goons at his sides.

She sighed deeply, not sure she was going to be able to practically handle what would come next. "Hello, Draco."

"Don't greet me like that." He spat at her. "We're not friends."

"Really? All of this interacting we've had, I was sure it would happen sometime." She said facetiously.

He caught on to her tone and glowered deeply. "It will never happen. We are not compatible."

She smirked. "I wasn't talking marriage, Malfoy. Just friendship."

He glare thickened to be nearly tangible at her jibe. "Move out of the way."

Amelia frowned. "Why?"

"Because _we_ were walking, and _you're_ standing in our way." He spoke in a condescending manner, saying each word slowly as if she were too stupid to understand them.

"This corridor is _massive_. I was walking along the edge. You could have easily walked around me." She told him.

"As you could have for me."

She conceded the point with a tip of her head. "That's true. I'm sorry I didn't, but I wasn't paying attention."

He smirked, superiority radiating off of him as heat did the sun. "Finally, you're treating me with the respect I deserve."

Amy rolled her eyes, but stepped to the side; she didn't want another confrontation, and this was only the hallway.

But instead of allowing her to step to the side on her own, Crabbe shoved her the rest of the way, causing her to step back too quickly, and onto the hem of her robes. She gasped as she fell to the ground hard on her tailbone with nothing to slow her fall.

There was sniggering that she barely heard as she tried to catch her breath and work through the pain that shot up her spine.

"What did I tell you? The _mudblood_ can't even stand on her own!" They laughed some more as Amelia's expense as her vision blurred. With pain, tears, or anger she didn't know. "What business do _things_ like _you_ have being here anyway? Hogwarts is a school for people who _deserve_ to learn magic." Malfoy sneered, suddenly in her field of vision.

Amelia worked her tongue for a moment, unable to respond through the severe discomfort that was caused by her impact and her anger at the situation.

"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" He said, his face curling into a disgusted expression, Crabbe and Goyle laughing behind him. "Typical." He stood and walked away, his goons close behind.

As soon as they were past her and into the Great Hall, Amy laid back on the ground, looking toward the high ceiling in an attempt to recover. The corridor was entirely empty now. She still hurt rather badly. And now her emotions matched.

"Amy!" The cry of concern caused her to turn her head to see a flash of yellow. "Amy, what happened? Are you all right?"

She focused on his face, her brain finding his name easily. "Hi, Cedric." Her words were breathless.

"Amy, tell me if you're hurt." He demanded firmly.

She swallowed, her tears blurring her image of the brunet. "I think I might be."

"Can you stand?" He asked.

Amy realized suddenly that she didn't know the answer to that. But an attempt to move her legs sent a sharp pain to the area of her tailbone. "Ouch." She muttered.

Cedric Diggory's jaw tightened to a determined line. "Right. Okay. That's a no. Don't move, and I'll go get Madame Pomfrey."

"But—"

"Don't. Move." He commanded, before looking up. "Hey! You! Yes, you – both of you. Come here, we need your help!" He called out toward her opposite side.

Amy looked over to find a set of young Ravenclaws headed toward them. "Please stand by her, and make sure she doesn't move while I fetch Madame Pomfrey." He asked of them, though it sounded more like a command. He didn't wait for anything else before leaving in a hurry down the corridor.

Amy smiled at the two blue and black robes that knelt down on either side of her. "Hello." She greeted casually, her voice tight.

"Are you hurt?" Asked the boy.

"Probably." Amy admitted.

"What happened?" Asked his girl companion.

"Took a bit of a fall." She tried out the explanation. "I'm Amelia Ross, by the way. But you can call me Amy."

"A pleasure to meet you, Amy. Though I wish it weren't under these circumstances. I'm James." Said the boy. "James Sallow. And this is my sister, Janna."

The female Ravenclaw smiled when Amy directed her eyes to her. "Hello, Amy."

"James and Janna…" Amy frowned. "Janna… you haven't done any experiments involving owls this year by any chance?"

Janna's smile broadened. "You've heard of me?"

"I'm friends with Max Johnson. The transfer Gryffindor to Ravenclaw." Amy clarified.

Janna nodded thoughtfully. "He scared over half of the owls out of the common room. It's a really good thing we live in a tower."

Amy laughed a little, but the movement shifted her body and just the wrong way and she grimaced. "Okay, no laughing. Got it."

Both siblings had frowns on their faces. And Amelia couldn't help thinking that they looked incredibly similar. Though that should have been expected, considering that they were, in fact, related.

The sound of footsteps could be heard now as they echoed in the corridor. "Stand aside, please." The old, familiar voice sounded, moving James out of the way with a practiced hand. "Amelia Ross. What's happened?"

"I fell." Amy said simply.

The nurse lifted a single eyebrow to show she was neither impressed nor believing her. "You fell?"

Amy licked her lips hesitantly. "Well… I may have been pushed. But either way, I stepped on the hem of my robe and fell."

Madame Pomfrey sighed deeply. "What hurts?"

"My tailbone." Amy told her honestly.

"Anything else?"

"Hard to tell. My spine is holding my attention well enough on its own." Amy admitted.

The magical medical professional nodded her head. "Alright, then. We'll head back to the hospital wing." She pulled out her wand from her sleeve and flicked it wordlessly. Amelia experienced a weightlessness as she was magically lifted from the ground, unable to move.

"Thank you for coming to get me, Cedric. Please inform Professor Sprout of the incident. And thank you for your vigilance." The last comment was directed at the Sallows. And then, by some unseen force, Amy felt herself being tugged along down the corridor behind the swiftly-moving Pomfrey.

* * *

"This is going to be absolutely fantastic!" George crowed his excitement as they raced down the corridor.

"Our best prank yet!" Fred agreed, then looked out of the corner of his eye to the girl running along beside them. "All thanks to you, Elisa."

Elisabeth grinned, the expression splitting her face and showing a small portion of true joy. It was a smile both boys realized rather suddenly that they hadn't seen ever, upon having Elisa join them in Gryffindor. They really must fix that. "Oh, you two did most of the work." She commented.

They shook their heads in silent disagreement, but ultimately decided not to correct her out loud. They simply traded knowing looks behind her shoulders.

Fred, George, and Elisa slowed down as they neared the Great Hall. "What table are you at?"

"Hufflepuff." Elisa answered George with a huff.

"Aw, that's a shame. We would've loved to have you by us tonight." Fred said, elbowing her arm gently.

"You and your group." George added.

"Thanks, but I'll have to take you up on that offer another time. The day after tomorrow, we're due at Gryffindor table." Elisa told them. "And I'll be sitting there for breakfast every day."

The twins gave her a view of both of their impish grins. "Well, sit with us then, why don't you?" They said in unison before running into the Great Hall without further delay.

She shook her head and walked into the hall calmly, after getting her breath back, and looked to try and find the incorrectly colored splotches in the midst of the Hufflepuff table. Red, blue, and green. To her confusion, there were only two of those present, and they seemed to look distinctly upset, especially if the distance between them was anything to go by.

Elisa approached with caution. "Hello, Max. Jasper." She sat in between them, using the space they left open. "Where's Amy?"

Both other transfer kept their eyes on their plates, neither moving to take a bite.

Elisabeth was growing steadily worried, possible scenarios running through her mind. "What… what did you do?"

Unfortunately, she was looking at Jasper when she said this, though she was addressing both of them. This wasn't communicated, however, and Jasper threw down his fork. "Why does everyone assume I'm at fault?"

"Because you are!" Max snapped venomously. "And her support proves the fact."

"Whoa, hold on just a moment!" She interceded. "I'm not supporting anything. I just meant _you_ as in you _and_ Jasper. _Both_ of you, Max."

"Why do you think I have anything to do with it?" Max asked, sounding outraged.

"Maybe because you are here, and Amelia isn't." Elisa said calmly, trying to figure out where this hostile attitude could have come from. "So settle down and explain what—" Elisa stopped herself short upon seeing Janna and James Sallow approaching them.

She knew the siblings. Janna would experiment, and James would be her minion, and sometimes her test subject. It all depended on the day and the girl's level of curiosity. But they really only knew each other in passing, because Elisabeth had gotten in a heated debate over a specific magical theory with the other Ravenclaw in their first year. After that, a mutual respect had been born for the other's abilities.

So why were both siblings seeking her out now?

Max and Jasper had followed her line of sight, and were equally confused when Elisa stood to meet the pair. They began to whisper to each other, Elisa standing silently as each sibling took their turn saying something.

"Thank you." Elisa said, her face blank of any emotion, but her skin paling. "For thinking to tell me, that is. Is she all right?"

Jasper and Max quickly found each other's eyes as both pairs widened considerably. They couldn't be talking about Amy, could they?

There was a muttered response, and a careful point of Janna's finger. Elisabeth nodded, and sat back down at the table as the siblings walked away without further ceremony.

Jasper and Max stared at her as she scowled at her empty plate.

"What was that about?" Max wanted to know, his voice portraying his nervousness.

Elisabeth turned her frustrated gaze to Max, and then flipped it to Jasper without saying a word. Only when she looked back at her plate did she say anything. "Amy."

The Ravendor was very aware of the fact that she now not only had the attention of both of her fellow transfers, but also the other Hufflepuffs at the table within hearing distance.

"What's wrong with her?" Jasper asked hesitantly.

"She's with Madame Pomfrey at the moment. It's not due to _either of you_." She snapped the last phrase, glaring at them. "So don't you _dare_ feel guilty about something that doesn't even relate to you in any way."

Both boys stared at Elisabeth as she stabbed her fork into a large piece of lettuce in a salad bowl, and pulled it onto her plate with deliberation in every movement. They couldn't quite process all of the girl's words at that moment, and neither of them really cared to. The only thing that was certain was that Amy was hurt.

And they hadn't been there to prevent it.

* * *

A/N: The title of this chapter is a bit misleading, isn't it? Well, that's because it's sarcasm! But sarcasm doesn't have a font, so... yeah.

Also, I told you so. A little tense there. It'll get a bit worse before getting better, but don't worry. They'll figure it out.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll do my best to write more as quickly as possible. My courses are already writing intensive this year, so it is taking up some of my regular writing time... and by some, I mean a lot. So thank you so much for your patience!

Catch you later


	8. Origin of the Overmatch

A/N: Hello, all! I'm on time with no time! Or, in the great words of Willy Wonka "So much time and so little to see - wait a minute! Strike that. Reverse it." Sadly my school is practically overwhelming at this point, but I'll keep at this! November is coming up, and this is my NaNoWriMo project. If you don't know what that is, I highly recommend looking it up. National Novel Writing Month. They have a website. It is _so_ much fun, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to complete it this year... we'll have to see.

Disclaimer: [Insert Standard Spiel Here] You guys know the drill by now, I'm sure. It's still the same as Chapter 1.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's a longer one.

* * *

"Amy!" Max cried as soon as he saw her blonde head appear the next morning in the Great Hall. He rushed over to her, shoving his way through a crowd of second and first years in an attempt to reach her faster.

She'd stopped her forward progress to wait for him, a tired expression on her face. When he reached her, he put his hands on her shoulders. "Merlin's beard, you scared me half to death!" He exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Amy smiled at him. "I am, yes. Just a nasty fall."

"And what did Madame Pomfrey say? Will you be okay?" He asked urgently.

"I'll be fine, Max." She told him. "In fact, I'm fine right now. I just bruised my tailbone pretty badly. I'll need to take some potions for the pain for a day or two, but—"

"Ross!" The cry cut the Hufflyn short as she looked over Max's shoulder nervously.

Max was gently nudged to the side as Jasper appeared next to him. "Amy, are you okay? How badly are you hurt?" Jasper wanted to know.

"I'm not. Just bruised my tailbone." She repeated for what felt like the hundredth time; it seemed like everyone was asking her that.

"Does it hurt?"

Jasper regarded Max with disbelief on his features upon hearing the younger boy's question. "Of course it hurt."

Max sent a mild glare in his direction. "I meant still."

"No, I took a potion." Amy said, feeling as if she were repeating herself once more. "And if you two start arguing again…" She trailed off and put a hand to her head. She looked exhausted. "Can I go eat now?"

They both paused in surprise at her abruptness before moving carefully out of her path. Amy took four steps, and then turned back around. "I… I'm sorry. It's just been a long day." With that, she left them to go toward the Slytherin table.

Jasper didn't know what to say, especially when Max simply muttered "But it's still morning" before walking to the Ravenclaw table without another word.

* * *

Amy sat carefully on the bench. It was still uncomfortable, but not painful, to sit. It was something Amy discovered she had apparently taken for granted. Never again. Just as she'd taken the peace between Max and Jasper for granted. She'd noticed the looks they'd given each other just moments ago. They were still not over the argument from the night before? Why was it sticking with them?

Before she could think about it much more, she was joined by Lynne. "Oh, Amy, are you all right?" She asked.

The blonde nodded in affirmation, scooping an egg onto her plate with a fork.

"It's just that… We didn't know if…" Lynne bit her bottom lip and looked down the table. Amy carefully attempted to follow her gaze to seek out a familiar face. The first one she found was Rory, who was momentarily looking back at her.

"Lynne, I'm fine. Really, I am." Amy told her. "Just a little shaken. And, well…" She shrugged uncertainly.

Lynne sighed deeply. "I'm terrified." She stated simply. But it was almost as if even her signature pigtails quivered with her emotion.

Amy looked up from her food. "What for?"

"Not what. Who." Lynne corrected. "I'm terrified for Draco Malfoy."

Amy blinked owlishly until she could get her tongue to work. "Why?" Lynne glanced back down the table, but didn't answer. "Lynne, why are you worried for Draco?"

The brunette glanced back at Amelia before looking away again. "I saw Professor Sprout practically pull Professor Snape out of his chair and they've disappeared."

That was when Amy realized that Lynne wasn't looking down the Sytherin table. She was looking in the direction of the Head table. "And you think that Professor Snape is going to get Malfoy in trouble for something? Or that Professor Sprout is going to get Professor Snape in trouble?" Amy didn't despise Snape. Not at all. But the idea made her smirk nonetheless. He was horrid to a lot of students. Professor Sprout could easily put him in his place, if she wished. But at least he _taught_ them things. Unlike a certain Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Lynne caught her expression and frowned. "This is serious, Amy."

Amelia sighed, and allowed her face to form a more serious expression. "If Draco does get in trouble, then it's probably for something he deserves. And if Professor Snape does, then I just hope that it isn't Professor Sprout dealing out the discipline. She's incredibly strict."

Lynne's frown deepened. "Professor Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff, strict?" She asked slowly.

Amy nodded her head. "Of course. We're a hardworking group, you know. It's difficult for us not to be. And if we don't keep together working on the right things then everyone's going in a million different directions and nothing happens." She mentioned. "We have to learn how to prioritize. She teaches us that. Among many other things. In order for that to be possible, Professor Sprout must be strict."

Lynne nodded in vague understanding. "She's never come across as mean before."

Amy stopped the movement of lifting her fork to her mouth to respond. "Oh, Professor Sprout isn't mean. Never harsh. Always kind. In a lot of cases, strictness _is_ kindness. But she also knows exactly when to slacken the rope so that we aren't feeling enslaved, because that's not the point. She just has standards that she helps us live up to." Amy finished taking her bite, allowing Lynne to think as she chewed. But once she swallowed, Amy couldn't help but add "If Professor Sprout had children, she would make a wonderful mother."

Lynne smiled at the thought before going back to her toast and spreading a large heap of jam evenly on it.

Amy felt as if they'd gotten off topic, and took a few minutes to retrace their conversation backward until she found where they had gone off on tangent. "Lynne?"

"Yeah?" She asked through her mouth full of toast.

"Why are you worried about Draco?"

Lynne abruptly swallowed the entire bite only half chewed to respond in a low whisper Amy could barely hear above the other students. "Who _knows_ what his father will say if he gets into trouble."

Amy frowned at her. "What would his father do?"

"Well, one of two things." Lynne admitted. "Mr. Malfoy would either get Draco in trouble himself, or try and turn the entire situation of Draco getting into trouble right into something to go against muggleborns and-slash-or Professor Dumbledore."

The Hufflyn couldn't help but groan out loud before planting her forehead on the table in front of her.

Lynne reached out and nudged the girl's blonde head. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly?" Amy lifted her head again, her curls now a mess about her face. "Not really."

Lynne thought for a moment. "Do you know what makes me feel better?" At Amy's inquisitive tip of her head, a smile came to the brunette's face. "Jam and hair pins."

"Jam and hairpins?" Amy asked.

Lynne nodded. "I've got loads of them. My mum is obsessed with all of the different kinds. Hairpins. Not jam."

Amelia smiled at the other girl's enthusiasm. "That's wonderful."

"Yeah, well, you should borrow one. I know a few that would look great in your hair." Lynne offered, seemingly nervous. She began to slowly curl inward on herself, as if growing less confident by the second.

Amy smiled broadly to show her pleasure at the idea. "That sounds amazing! Can I use one tomorrow?"

Lynne instantly brightened, and began describing several of the pins in detail, and Amy just ate her eggs and let her friend talk on to the end of breakfast and all of the way to their next class.

* * *

Jasper had the spoon in his mouth, half way through his breakfast, when Elisabeth suddenly sat down on his right. He hastily removed the utensil and turned to her, mouth full of food and a question in his eyes.

She seemed incredibly serious. "She was pushed."

Jasper nearly choked on his oatmeal trying to swallow it. It didn't help that the ridiculous lack of results in what plant he was allergic to meant that his nose was stuffed full of mucus, so he couldn't breathe. In fact, he was due to see Madame Pomfrey after he finished eating,

If he didn't die of asphyxiation first. He coughed a few times to try and clear his throat before taking a drink of his fruit juice and turning back. "What?"

"Amy ran into Draco last night while she was leaving the Great Hall and was pushed. The injury was an accident, but one that happened because of malicious intent." Elisa supplied quietly.

Jasper looked around and realized that the entirety of the table within hearing distance had gone startlingly quiet. "Morgan, I'm not sure if—"

"Why would he _do_ that?" Elisabeth asked. "Why would Draco…?" She huffed in frustration and crossed her arms.

Jasper blinked. "Why are you asking me?"

"You came from Slytherin, I figured you would have some insight." Elisa said, as if it were obvious.

He nodded slowly for a moment before stopping, and looking at her once more with uncertainty. "Insight about what?"

Elisa scowled at him. "About why he's so mean to Amy!" She whispered harshly.

"He comes from a powerful family. Everyone here is below him." Jasper said.

Elisa scoffed. "Thinks that highly of himself, does he?"

She didn't seem very impressed with his answer, but Jasper didn't know what else to tell her. He bowed his head in agreement. "Well… yes, but he also thinks that lowly of her."

The Ravendor stared at him for a long moment. "He thinks lowly of her?" Just as Jasper was just about to elaborate, she smacked herself firmly on the forehead. "Right, of course. I remember now."

"You… forgot that Ross was a muggleborn?" Jasper asked, confused.

Elisa frowned at him. "Yes. It's not all that important to me."

Jasper couldn't help his small smile. "It isn't?"

"No. It isn't a part of who she is." Elisa thought about that for a moment, and then shook her head. "Though it could be argued that it influences her personality to at least a small degree."

Jasper's smile stuck as he looked into his bowl and stirred his oats with his spoon.

"Listen, I need to run, but I'll see you at lunch, alright?" She told him, standing. "I just thought you ought to know about… well, about Amy."

"Right. Thank you, Morgan." Jasper said with sincerity.

Elisa nodded her head and left him to his breakfast.

* * *

Nothing happened. And Amelia wasn't sure who was more surprised, Draco or her. He had stayed away from her, not even bothering to look in her direction, after the incident. But he seemed both relieved and confused by the fact that no one had come to give out a punishment for the event. Amy was silently confused as well. She didn't want Draco to get into a lot of trouble (it wasn't him who shoved her, after all), but she'd expected him to. Either way, the only thing that resulted from the accidental gone-wrong encounter in the hall, that resulted in more than hurt feelings, was two days after the incident. Amy was asked to stay behind in the greenhouse with Professor Sprout.

"You can sit if you'd like, Ms. Ross." Pomona offered her student one of the many stools around.

Amelia offered her thanks before sitting across from where the Professor decided to make herself comfortable.

Professor Sprout sighed deeply, and looked at the young girl in front of her. Her blonde hair was pulled back that day, a bright purple hairclip fastened on the band holding her hair back. "That's a lovely clip." Pomona complimented.

Amelia reached for it to pat it gently. "Thank you. It's Lynne's. She let me borrow it today."

"That was very kind of her." Professor Sprout mentioned with a nod of her head before she continued to observe the young girl, her eyes resting on the Hufflepuff patch on Amelia's black and green robes as her mind wandered to other things.

"Professor?" Amy tried to catch the woman's attention. "Did you want to speak with me about something specific?"

The Herbology professor blinked her attention back to the present and cleared her throat. "Yes, well, I wanted to ask you something. And I expect you to be honest with me in your answer." She said, her voice getting firmer.

Amy felt anxiety as her nerves suddenly heightened, causing her stomach to feel as if it was clenching in on itself. Or rocks had settled in it. Something oddly similar to dread and nervousness shoved together in a tight space. "Okay."

Pomona's face softened. "You're not in trouble, dear."

Amy nodded her understanding, but felt no more relaxed.

Professor Sprout took a deep breath. "Is this all too much for you? Would you prefer to come back to Hufflepuff for the remainder of the school term?"

Amy's eyes widened so that the entirety of her deep brown irises could be seen with white around them. "Professor!" She whispered in surprise.

"I talked with Professor Snape about punishing Mr. Malfoy and his friends for the incident that occurred a few days ago." She said. "But he's informed me that, due to Draco's father, there isn't much I can do with so little evidence. Even if you told everyone what happened, it would be your word against Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle's." Pomona shook her head, obviously upset about it. "I'm sorry, Ms. Ross."

"It's alright, Professor. I understand, really." Amy tried to comfort her.

"But what I can do is take you out of the transfer program." Professor Sprout told her.

Amelia shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I can't. Not now."

Sprout frowned. "Amelia, if you're in danger of being hurt again, I can't just stand by—"

"Professor, it was an accident." Amy interrupted calmly. "Their intention wasn't to harm me." _At least not physically_ , she added silently.

Professor Sprout frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't looking where I was going and nearly ran into them in the hall. I went to move around them and didn't move fast enough." She shrugged. "I was pushed to the floor, sure, but it was never their intention to have me actually fall over. I tripped over my robes. They're still too long in the back."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that they meant to push you, but you weren't supposed to fall over?" the professor asked very slowly. At Amy's nodded reply, she sighed deeply and rubbed her glabella. "Oh, Amelia."

"It really is fine, Professor. And I don't think the teasing will stop if I turn back. It might actually make it worse at this point." Amy smirked more for the professor's reassurance than a genuine portrayal of happiness. "I'll be alright. Really. If it gets too bad, I'll go to someone." Amy promised.

Professor Sprout once more regarded Amelia Ross. "You'd better. Now go on. Tell Professor Flitwick that it was my fault you were late. He'll understand."

Amelia smiled, and bid the professor farewell, before leaving the green house. Professor Sprout watched her go with some tense apprehension. Maybe giving the girl a choice hadn't been such a good idea.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Lynne inquired.

Amy turned to her with a large smile of excitement on her face. "I have a lesson with Elisa."

Lynne frowned. "Elisa? You're Ravenclaw friend?"

"Yes." Amy answered, doubling checking that she had the correct time on her watch.

"Why would you have a lesson with her?"

Amy paused. What could she call it? "Tutoring." She stated, finding the word.

Lynne narrowed her eyes. "Tutoring?"

"She's going to help me with some spells I can't get the hang of." Amy said.

"You would be able to get them much easier if you actually practiced them." Lynne muttered.

Amelia sighed. "I know, but I can't."

Now Lynne sighed. "You can't let them scare you."

"I just really don't like things getting tossed at me all of the time." Amy admitted. Every time she would sit down to study, someone would throw crumpled pieces of parchment in her direction, or make as much noise as possible with the intent of annoying her. And, as an established rule due to some unfortunate incident nearly twenty years ago, practicing magic in the library wasn't allowed. And no spells in the corridors. So her only option was to practice in the common room. Which wasn't possible because of the first issue brought up. Distractions. She'd resorted to sneaking in a practice when she was reading her other books, but she had to practically mouth the words, and it never worked correctly.

"Then practice in here." Lynne said. "I don't mind."

Amy frowned thoughtfully, and looked at her wristwatch once more. "I'll think about it." She spoke slowly. "But right now, I really have to go. See you later, Lynne!"

Lynne waved as Amelia's blonde hair vanished on the other side of their dorm room's door.

* * *

Elisabeth tapped her wand impatiently against her leg, going over her old notes from the year before for the hundredth time. She'd had to resell her previous textbooks to afford the new ones, but luckily she'd forgotten to remove her old class notes from her trunk. That was what they would be working off of. Well, that and some spell theory books from Janna Sallow's collection. The other Ravenclaw was practically two years ahead of her classes in knowledge, and had been willing to hand off some of the books she'd used.

And Elisa had talked to Professor Flitwick about borrowing his class room for the hour every week. He had been completely understanding of the situation, even smiling proudly at her as she explained. He had then said something about how happy he was that she was finally sharing her skills with another. That alone was puzzling. Elisa thought she was intelligent, but not to the point of being able to teach others. And now she was teaching Amy in yet another lesson. How had the girl convinced her to do this? Why had Elisa allowed herself to be talked into it? She sighed deeply, shaking her head.

Suddenly a small body appeared from around the door frame, blonde hair racing around her shoulders. Elisa's heart raced, her nerves beginning to grow. She'd never taught anyone anything before Amy, and the nervousness she'd felt the first day were still startlingly present.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Elisa. It took me longer than I'd thought, going back to put my books away." Amy apologized, coming closer.

"That's fine. Do you want to start?"

"Sure." The word slipped from her lips as she tried to regain her breath. "What are we doing today?"

"The Shield Charm." Elisa said. "Again. You were struggling with it last week."

"Well... it's hard." Amy admitted.

Elisa nodded, frowning at her notes. "It's not one I learned in class in my second year."

"Then, do you mind if I ask, why are you teaching it to me?" This question didn't have a single syllable spoken in a disrespectful tone, and was actually coated in genuine curiosity, so Elisa didn't mind being asked it.

"Janna taught it to me during one of her experiments about learning theories. Her reasoning for picking this spell was because it would be of potential use in the future." Elisa explained.

"How do you mean?"

"In Defense Against the Dark Arts, why would you not learn a defensive spell?" Elisa asked simply as her answer.

Amy nodded.

"But I do recall that it took me about a week of practicing the same spell every night consistently." She added.

"It certainly hasn't been working out that well for me." The younger girl admitted.

"Well... let's just see." She lifted her wand. "We'll do this the same way we did last week."

Amy pulled her wand from inside her robe and held it loosely in her fingers. Elisa had picked a harmless and, in Amy's opinion, one of the least unpleasant hexes; the tickling hex. "This isn't the charm that you've no doubt learned from Professor Flitwick. It's a hex. But its effects are the same." Elisa had explained the week before.

"So how are they different?" Amy had asked.

She'd received a frown in reply, and a simple "I don't know." From the other student. "Let me look into it."

Amelia blinked her eyes to focus back on the present. And just as Elisa twitched her wand to follow the odd arc that was the movement for the spell, Amy began her own gesture.

" _Titillando_!" Elisa spoke the word milliseconds before Amy said hers.

" _Protego_!" A shield formed in time to deflect the purple ribbons that were launched at her hard enough to dissolve them.

Elisa felt the protection spell linger in the air, sending a slight shake up her arm from where the purple ribbons had still been connected to her wand's tip. She blinked, simply looking at the tiny blonde in front of her who was looking shocked herself.

It didn't make sense. Any time Amy tried to perform the spell on her own, it didn't work. So why was it working for her now?

"That was good." Elisa said. "I think you've got that one really well. Do you want to move on?"

Amy furrowed her brow for a short moment, temporarily allowing her confusion to show. Before she forced the look from her face and offered Elisa a small smile. "That sounds good to me."

* * *

A/N: Just in case you were wondering, Halloween will be in the next chapter. Probably. Don't hold me to that.

I hope you're all enjoying this so far! I know it's been a lot of my OCs (which are amazing, thanks to jahaha27) but this story is about them, and once we get farther into the actual story arc for _The Chamber of Secrets_ , there will be more of our Golden Trio, and the incredibly arrogant Draco Malfoy.

Catch you later!


	9. Pumpkin Patch

A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I have a chapter. And it's not Halloween. The beginning seems a bit rushed to me, but I think it will work. I wanted to update yesterday with a chapter on Halloween in the story because the timing was actually perfect to me, and then I could use the title as a themed thing instead of an actually-descriptive chapter title... But the timing didn't work out, so I'm posting it on All Hallow's Day. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I have no beta, I don't own Harry Potter or the Wizarding World, I'm American, I apologize if I get anything wrong (grammar, plot, words) but I hope you enjoy it anyway. OCs are thanks to jahaha27 (thanks a million)

Thanks so much for reading this!

* * *

Students at Hogwarts were witness to the passage of time, as all are at one point or another. Each watched through windows briefly as the leaves of the trees outside grew stiff and turned bright colors before drifting to the earth. Leaving behind only skeletons of the gargantuan trees that were speckled across the school grounds and made up the dark mass of the Forbidden Forest.

Max and Jasper put the argument they had behind them, out of a mutual and nonverbal agreement before the Friday after the incident. So meetings continued as normal, and the transfer students found that they really didn't have much to talk about. Everything was beginning to settle. Nothing was so shockingly new. Max was getting better at riddles. Elisa was occasionally seen with the Weasley twins (when asked, she denied all claims that she was helping them with pranks). Jasper had discovered exactly what he was allergic to in the Hufflepuff common room (It was moonshine yarrow, one of the many plants drying on the ceiling) after the several days; they got lucky by not having to go through every individual plant. Amy was gaining friends in Slytherin, though some of them were underneath the radar of those in the house that objected to her presence.

Things were smoothing out, mostly. The school year had begun and been in session long enough for all present to fall into a routine.

October thirtieth, Amy encountered the Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's house ghost.

"Hello, Ms. Ross! How are you this fine evening?" The friar asked.

Amy smiled at him. He was one of the friendliest ghost she'd encountered at Hogwarts. Of course, Nearly Headless Nick was a close second, but he was incredibly loud. The Bloody Baron was nearly always silent, staring at her as she walked.

But in her first year, Amelia had felt the need to make conversation with every ghost at least once. She wasn't sure why. Perhaps the possible loneliness of never being able to touch another living thing plagued her mind, and sympathy led her to do so. But the Grey Lady had been very kind and intelligent, if shy. The Bloody Baron had glowered at her the entire time she walked along next to him. Nearly Headless Nick told and re-told her many tales, each of which she listened to carefully, even if he'd already told them.

But the Fat Friar had easily been the friendliest, eager to hear about the muggle world of the modern day as Amy had experienced it, and willing to speak of anything the young girl wished.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking." She answered his inquiry. "How might you be?"

"Still dead." He mentioned gleefully. "So there isn't that much for me to be." He let out a chuckle from deep in his large belly. "Happy nearly-Halloween, I suppose."

Amy nodded. "Tomorrow is Halloween. Do you have any plans this year?"

"Why yes, actually." The Fat Friar looked incredibly happy that she'd asked. "Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's five-hundredth deathday party is tomorrow!"

Amy put the pieces together slowly, that de Mimsy-Porpington was Nearly Headless Nick, and that deathday sounded like birthday. "Nick had been dead five-hundred years?" Amy asked, sounding impressed.

"Indeed he has! Still a young fellow, but he's getting up there in years."

"How old are you, Friar?" Amelia asked, unsure if it had come up in previous conversations.

The ghost opened his mouth to answer before the smile slowly slipped from his face and he frowned deeply. "I'm not sure." He admitted. Then smiled at her again. "But much older than Nicholas!"

"I hope you enjoy the party!" Amy told him.

The Fat Friar grinned. "And you enjoy what you have, whatever it may be."

Amelia's smile stayed for a little while after she went a separate direction than the ghost to go meet up with Elisa, who said she would be outside.

It was freezing, a crisp breeze causing her robes to whip against her ankles. She pulled the hood of her robes tighter around her neck, silently wishing she'd grabbed her scarf from her trunk before making her way outdoors.

The leaves that had already been on the ground were dancing excitedly in the air as the breeze goaded them to movement. The trees' branches clicked together as the moved, brushing against each other. It was relatively quiet, though sometimes she could hear the sounds of joyful shouts carried on the wind from the Quidditch pitch. It was Friday, but there was no game that night. Only matches played in fun or practice. Or both.

Elisa was in the courtyard, a large expanse of stone that created an odd ground far from natural, but seeing to feel as part of the earth. It was only the sort of feeling you could get from a structure that had been present in its place for centuries.

"Amy!" Elisa waved as she saw the blonde appear on the stone.

The Hufflyn waved back before hopping over to Elisa and sitting on the step next to her.

The dark-haired girl smirked. "You're in a good mood today."

"Why wouldn't I be? Today has been lovely!" Amy said, before looking around. "We're having our meeting here, right?"

"Yes." Elisa answered simply.

"Great." Amy responded, looking out toward the many entrances to the large yard in anticipation of Jasper and Max's arrival.

They were quiet for a while before Elisa asked "Have you been practicing?"

Amy sighed. "I've been trying, but nothing's working."

Elisa frowned. "You say that every week, but you're actually doing really well."

"That's because it's as if my wand only cooperates when you or a professor is staring at me." Amy mumbled.

Elisa found herself amused. "I'm proud to be in that category."

"But it just doesn't make sense!" Amy said. "I mean… I _finally_ got the Shield charm to work without you being in the same room last week, but only one or two others are working."

"Are you practicing them the same way you are when you're with me?" Elisa asked.

"Of course I am." Amy shook her head. "It's just… I don't know."

"You bought your wand from Olivander for _you_ , correct?"

"Yes." Amy answered, but wasn't sure why it was relevant.

Elisa nodded slowly. So it wasn't a conscious variation of practice, and the wand she was using chose her, so it wasn't the wand's fault… what could be inhibiting Amy's magic? "Just remember that the basis of any spell is—"

"Intent and understanding, yes, you've said it at least a million times." Amy finished for her with a smile and roll of her eyes.

Elisa smirked at how easy it had been to drill that into the other girl's head, and wondered if she'd put it to any practical use yet.

"Oh, there they are." Amy's words drew Elisa out of her racing mind to see Max and Jasper walking toward them in the middle of a heated discussion that ended just out of ear shot with Jasper making a signal with his hand that cut off the flow of Max's words.

They approached, greetings were passed. Everything happened as it normally would, the day growing steadily colder and each of their noses turning pink because of it, their cheeks equally bitten by the cold. Once more they talked of trivial things, though they each congratulated Jasper for being allergic-reaction free.

In fact, nothing abnormal happened at all. Or at least… not until the next day.

When a message showed up in one of the corridors, thick and red.

* * *

Jasper followed the sudden flow of students as they crowded into a corridor. He sighed deeply, wondering what all of the trouble was now. It was always something. He just hoped that something wasn't another group of Gryffindors playing a game of exploding snap.

That is, until he saw the blood. If it was blood. Then he wished it to be turned to a rowdy group of Gryffindors.

But bright red letters caused his already pale face to turn sheer. "THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED: ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."

His eyes – as soon as the message processed entirely and connected with the stories he'd been told – quickly scanned the area as he frantically searched for Amelia. Where was she? What if it was too late? What if it had already begun?

Then a voice caught his ear.

"You'll be next, _mudblood_."

He turned toward the speaker, and found Malfoy, standing just in front of the crowd, staring at one person in particular. Jasper wasn't sure if he was relieved or angered to find it was just who he thought it was. A part of him hoped that it wasn't.

But the blonde hair, and green robe, with yellow patch didn't give him the option. Amelia stood just in front of the crowd, staring at the message and looking sick. Malfoy was talking to her, standing so closely to her that he was directly in her face. He'd been talking to her to start with, and she began to look sicker by the moment.

Jasper felt his blood boil. He shoved his way through the crowd, not caring that he was stepping on feet, or that his elbows were making bruises. He burst out into the cleared half-circle, ignored Harry Potter and his friends as they gave him confused looks, and slid slickly in between Draco Malfoy and Amelia Ross.

Draco looked up at the fourth-year, doing his best to keep the angry face that he'd had just moments before, but it slipped temporarily into something akin to fright.

"If I ever here you speaking that way to her again, I'll make you wish all I did was hex you." His voice was a dangerous whisper.

Draco harrumphed, and crossed his arms, but less smoothly than before. Jasper had gotten through to him enough to unsettle the kid at least. "Turned _Hufflepuff_ , have you Wilf?" he spat the house name as if it were an insult. "Standing up for filth like _her_ now? Just last year you were—"

"I've had my eyes opened." Jasper interrupted. "And you'd better open yours, unless you want me to do it for you."

Before anything else could be said, the professors were there, trying to calm Filch after seeing his precious cat, Mrs. Norris, hanging from the wall. Jasper lightly grabbed Amelia's elbow and led her out of the crowd and down the hall until they were out of sight of the other students.

The Hufflyn seemed speechless as she stared at him, but looked considerably less like she would be sick all over the floor. For that he was grateful. But he was frustrated. Amy had looked upset when she'd stood in front of Malfoy, but almost as if she'd been expecting it. Almost as if…

"How long has this been going on?" He asked, his face a deep frown.

Amy stared at the ginger in confusion. "How long has what—?"

She didn't get any further as two more students came barreling around the corner, stopping abruptly as if they'd ran. Elisa and Max were breathing deeply. It was the latter who spoke first. "What's going on?" He turned to Amelia. "Are you all right?"

The little Hufflepuff nodded her head, but looked away.

Jasper had to try very hard resist the urge to get angry, and he didn't fail to notice the other two trade looks. He wasn't angry with Amy. And he didn't want her to think he was. "You didn't answer my question, Ross."

She flinched slightly, probably at his tone. He'd tried not to make it harsh, but he was still seething from his encounter and discovery about Draco. He took a deep breath, and tried again. "How long has this been going on?" Jasper asked carefully.

Amelia still refused to meet their eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That prat." Jasper spat in the general direction of where Draco probably was. "This has been going on the entire time, hasn't it?"

"Jasper, what are you talking about?" Elisa asked. "What happened?"

"Didn't you hear him?"

"We got there just in time to see you two leave." Elisa answered his inquiry. "Care to elaborate?"

The Slytherpuff put his cold, shaking palm on his face for a moment before removing it to look back at Amy to gauge her reaction as he answered Elisa's question. "Malfoy called her mudblood."

There were two quick intakes of breath that sounded more like a solitary hiss. But Amy quickly looked up at him. "It's not that large of a issue."

"How is it not a large issue?" Max asked. "That's a despicable name to call _anyone_ , let alone you."

Amy paused, her mouth hanging open as if she'd been planning to answer but had lost all of the words she was going to use. She sat there like that a moment, her mouth ajar as she practically held her breath trying to force words out. But none came.

"Because it's been happening a while now." Jasper answered for her, softly. "She's gotten used to it."

No one moved. Other student's made their way through the hall that intersected theirs, but never gave them a sideways glance.

"I can't believe you didn't say anything!" Elisa said finally, sounding outraged.

Amy opened her mouth to defend herself, but Jasper spoke first.

"You can't, can you?" A weighted silence fell at Jasper's realization, and Amelia's lifted her eyes to his, her breathing more like hyperventilating. "You won't. Because it would be going behind their backs."

"What does that matter? She could've told a teacher anyway, if it was going this far." Elisa said.

"Or even punched that jerk in the face. Break his perfect teeth." Max said.

 _Or developed a revenge on her own_ , Jasper thought, then froze.

"She could have." He agreed. "But she didn't. Telling was the smart thing to do. Punching a Malfoy in the face is certainly a brave thing to do." _And extracting your own revenge was the cunning thing to do_. He looked again to the small, undoubtedly Hufflepuff, child standing in front of him. Her tearful eyes met his own, and he smiled. "But keeping quiet… bearing the weight without complaint… that was the loyal thing to do."

Max looked at a loss, his concern outweighing his manners as he said "Well that was stupid."

"To you." Jasper agreed. "But to a Hufflepuff…" He trailed off, and suddenly the entire group understood. "Well, now that we figured it out on our own, and you didn't tell us, you didn't rat them out. So you can fill in the blanks. How bad has it been?"

She shrugged. "Not totally unbearable. It's not like they're hurting me."

"Yeah, except for the infirmary visit a couple of weeks ago. But that was nothing, of course." Max said sarcastically.

"It was an accident." Amy deflected.

"But just because they aren't throwing punches doesn't mean it's okay." Jasper countered. "In fact, that makes it all the more dangerous. How did Professor Snape not know?"

"They're good at avoiding him, and he doesn't look very hard." Amelia supplied, suddenly looking very tired. Actually, on reflection, Jasper noticed that she'd been acting tired for several days now. He'd just thought it was because of the steadily increasing load of homework. The situation at hand brought it back out in a new light.

"Have you been having difficulty sleeping?" He couldn't help but ask.

Amy rubbed at her eyes. "No." She answered simply.

"You don't look so good, Amy." Max told her. "Maybe you should head back to your common room and take a nap or something."

They all watched as the little girl snapped awake. "No, no. I'm fine."

"Come on, I'll walk you." Jasper offered, suddenly remembering what he had just seen in the corridor. "I know where it is."

"No, you don't have to." Amelia was quick to stop him, a hand desperately gripping his robe sleeve. They all froze, their eyes on the youngest girl. She swallowed, and slowly released the fourth-year. "You really don't have to."

"Amy, what's wrong?" Jasper said each word carefully, as if worried she would explode if he said something too quickly. "You can tell us."

She bit her lip, tugged on one of her curls, and finally sighed. Her shoulders slumped, causing her robe to slip down her shoulders. She looked so small. The other three of the group were suddenly struck by how young she was. And how young they were. A twelve year-old, two thirteen year-olds, and a fourteen year-old. They were all still very, very young.

"It's just that…" She sighed. "I don't like… conflict."

"Conflict?" Elisa asked, confused.

Amy nodded. "Conflict."

The three older kids traded looks. "It… are you talking about Draco?" Max asked.

Amy groaned in frustration. "It's not that bad, really. It's just… you know, a name here, a note there. Misplaced books…" She shrugged, and rubbed the back of her head.

"Hold on, notes? What notes?" Elisa asked, narrowing her eyes skeptically.

Amy stared at her for a moment. "Er…"

Suddenly someone else came around the corner. "Oh, Amy, I was _so_ worried." Lynne's pigtails were like smoke trails behind her as she suddenly collided with the Hufflyn.

Amy returned the embrace in confusion. "What? Why?"

"The mix up with Malfoy, and suddenly _poof!_ You're gone!" Lynne said behind her head, still squeezing tight.

Amy patted the girl's back. "I'm okay."

"Well, I see that now." Lynne said, pulling away. She looked over at the silent other three, and stepped timidly backward. "Oh… did I interrupt something?"

"Amelia Ross, what notes?" Elisa interjected firmly.

Amy glanced at Lynne as if to ask for help, when she saw that the brunette had turned to her in confusion. "Er… well… it's just teasing. I mean…"

Lynne's eyes widened. "You told me they stopped!"

"Well, they had… at the time." Amy said carefully.

"Will someone please explain to me what we're talking about?" Max asked.

"Some of the Slytherin students had been leaving notes on Amy's stuff with enchanted adhesive." Lynne admitted. "It started when her books were stolen. When we got them back, Amy found them in the covers."

The blonde stared at the young Slytherin. "I didn't know you knew about that."

Lynne scowled. "You were tripped outside of the Great Hall. I helped you pick up your books. It was in all of the ones I was holding and they'd fallen open. It's sort of hard to miss." That was when Amy realized that Lynne wasn't scowling at _her_. Instead it was just the topic of conversation that put the look on her face.

"I pointed out the one on one of her bed posts. We tried getting it off on our own, and removed most of it." Lynne continued.

"What did the notes say?" Jasper wanted to know before he made another move.

Amy winced, and Lynne lifted her chin and responded. "You heard Malfoy shouting it in the corridor."

Jasper and Max were puzzled, but Elisa's eyes widened. With one of the first outward displays of emotion they'd ever seen, her face contorted in anger. "How _dare_ they do something like that? That's… that's _horrible_!" She pulled out her wand with practiced ease. "When I get my hands on whoever—"

"Woah, wait a minute." Max had his hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. "What is it?"

Jasper frowned, suddenly understanding. "Mudblood."

"That's a direct attack on her person, and it's obviously not okay. How did your Head of House _not_ find out and _do_ something?" Elisa was still irate, but had put her wand away.

"He can't do anything." Amy's face was grim. "Even if he did know."

"Well what can _we_ do, then?" Max looked anxious. He lowered his voice, turning to Jasper. "With that writing on the wall… something is loose in this halls. You know it. You've heard the stories. The Chamber of Secrets is never a good sign."

"Why not? What's wrong?" Elisa asked.

Max took a deep breath, as if to steel himself. "The last time it was opened, a student died."

Elisa was sufficiently alarmed. "It just goes around, attacking random students?"

"No." Jasper's voice was firm. He looked at Amelia. "It has only ever attacked muggleborns."

They all turned to the blonde. She was, surprisingly, unabashed, and was instead focused on Lynne, speaking in a low voice they couldn't hear.

"You should find Rory. Get back to the common room and stay there." Amy told her.

"What are you doing?" Lynne whispered back.

Amy smirked slightly. "I'll finish up here, and meet you back in our dorm, okay? Feed Pasco?"

Lynne's excessive worry was distracted by the sudden and random request. "Your frog?"

"Well we can't just let this keep going!" Max's voice cut into their conversation and caught their attention. "If Amy's already being bullied, then who's to say whether or not she'll..." Max's voice seemed to catch in his throat.

"Okay, I can see we're all panicked." Elisa said loud enough for the group to hear. "So let's take this one step at a time."

"Good plan." Jasper agreed, suddenly stepping forward. "Morr, get back to the Slytherin common room." He told Lynne. "I can't be responsible for you."

Lynne nodded her head, glanced at Amy, and ran down the hall to meet up with a group of green robes walking past.

Jasper held out his hand toward Amelia. "Come on."

She paused before taking it. He lead her down the hall, and back around the corner to where the teachers were making sure all of the students were heading back to their common rooms. Much to the surprise of the other three, Jasper walked up to Severus Snape.

And didn't stop.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading this! Also, cliff-hanger, I know, they're terrible. But this isn't _too_ bad and I don't have the next part done yet, and what I do have would make this chapter incredibly long, and I don't know if any of you would prefer that or not... The next installation will deal with some stuff I'm not certain on myself, so it may be a bit rough... I apologize ahead of time.

But I am so excited to finally get the ball rolling, which is why I ignored every piece of writing advice I've ever received and left the beginning of the chapter as rushed as it was instead of writing a filler chapter with explanations of each character's current development in where they are... sorry. I hope it wasn't too rough.

I'm wishing you a (late) happy Halloween!

Catch you later


	10. Temporary Slatch

LONG A/N: I'm sure you're wondering "an update already? _what_?" it's crazy, huh? Did I say this before? Oh, right... by the way, I'll probably be updating this regularly for the next month. It's National Novel Writing Month, which mean's I'm going to attempt to write a whopping 50,000 words in the span of 30 days. Am I crazy? Guaranteed. And this is my project. I'll probably have this story finished, or nearly, by the end of the month. I hope so. I mean... if not, than this will be a really long story. We'll see, I guess. I also apologize ahead of time for any plot holes... I won't be thinking too hard on them this month. But I can always go back and fix them if they're too terrible. Just notify me of them, please!

Slatch is really a word. Just... an old word. Google it?

Disclaimer: It's identical to every time before it. I'm an American with no beta and no ownership of the Harry Potter universe. Any of it. The OCs are technically mine, but only because of the tremendous help of jahaha27.

I hope you enjoy! We left off on a bit of a cliff hanger last time. I won't do a "previously on" bit, mostly because you can always flip back a chapter if you're confused. Am I wrong? Let me know.

On with the show

* * *

"All students back to their common…" Snape trailed off as Jasper drove straight past him, dragging behind him one student while two others quickly rushed after him. "Mr. Wilf!" He called, annoyance heavy in his voice along with the stern command repeated.

Jasper kept walking until he was nearly nose-to-nose with Pomona Sprout. She looked startled. Whether it was because their arrival was abrupt, or simply because she was reasonably jumpy after the night's events, they didn't know.

"We need to speak with you, Professor. In private, if that's all right with you." Jasper's voice was almost as stern as Snape's. Professor sprout took a moment to compose herself, the sudden seriousness of the students standing in front of her throwing her off balance.

"Um… yes. Snape, let Minerva and Flitwick know I have the transfers, please." She said airily to the brooding professor who was approaching them quickly. "They need to discuss something."

Much to the student's surprise, the potions professor nodded politely. "Just make sure they are back in their common rooms when you are finished."

"Absolutely." She nodded her head, and led them to the nearest classroom, which was down the hall a ways. It was one of the large lectures halls, and it was daunting and chilly as the sun had already disappeared over the horizon. The only light now was a damp gray, leaking in like some sort of fog. Professor sprout quickly remedied the cold atmosphere by lighting a few candles in their vicinity with a flick of her wand.

"Now, you said you have something to discuss with me?" She asked, sitting down on the edge of one of the desks.

Now they were hesitant. All but Jasper, it seemed. "I'm ashamed to say this is us reporting an incident against some Slytherin students, among other things, Professor."

Pomona's eyes flicked to Amelia, concern carefully hidden on her face. "Explain."

Jasper turned to Amelia. "I think you'd better tell her."

The girl paled. "I can't."

"If I tell her what's going on, could you explain it to her?"

She hesitated a long moment, looking into Jasper's brown eyes, before nodding slowly.

He turned back to the professor. "Someone has been bullying Amy."

Now they watched as the professor's face slowly hardened in anger, though it obviously wasn't directed at them. She took a deep breath. "And what does Slytherin have to do with this?" She already knew the answer, of course, but sometimes asking questions you know the answer to leads to a better understanding of the situation at hand.

All eyes turned to Amelia. After she didn't respond, holding her breath for a long time, Pomona softened, and gestured for the girl to come closer. She did.

Professor Sprout rested her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Ms. Ross, you can trust anything you say here will be kept confidential. In fact, I will say I didn't hear it from you. None of the other students will know who it was who told me."

"But I'm not… I don't want to hurt them."

"My dear," The teacher brushed some stray, blonde hair out of the girl's eyes as she suddenly understood. "This sort of thing was inevitable, and certainly not your fault. It may even benefit them in the future. And if not them, it would benefit others if they learned from this."

"That doesn't mean it's okay." She was so serious, Pomona momentarily forgot she was looking at a twelve year-old. "Trust is important. I can't break that, Professor." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she squinted her eyes shut.

Forget professionalism. Pomona hugged the small child tightly against her, firmly refusing to let go for several long moments. "Amelia, this is where it gets hard. Because right now you need to make a decision. I've never seen you put yourself before others, and I never want to see that. But you need to know that you have to put your needs before anyone else's wants. Do you understand? All they want is to hurt you. But you need to be safe."

The girl nodded her head, and sniffed. "Alright, Professor."

"There's a good girl." She finally released the child and met her watery eyes with a comforting smile. "Now, tell me what's happened."

Amelia took a deep breath, and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Draco was mean first. And because he's from an important family, the others joined in because they were scared of him, and there were notes and mean names but no one hurt me and Lynne's fine. And it's not all of them. Some of them are nice, even though they shouldn't be. They're just trying to stay safe, professor."

This was what she'd been afraid of. Pomona inwardly scolded herself for letting it go for so long. "Mr. Wilf, I would like you to take Amy with you back to the Hufflepuff common room."

"What? No!" Amy stopped the professor before she could say anything else. "I can't just leave."

"If they can't be kind to you, then you shouldn't be there. And it's not safe."

"If I leave now, it will get worse, Professor. Don't you see that?" Amelia couldn't remember a time where she had so blatantly argued with a figure of authority before in all of her life. "It will show that not only can I be pushed around, but so can you."

"She's… not wrong, Professor." Elisabeth put in hesitantly after a small pause. "In any revolution, the last thing the classified minority or lower class should do is retreat."

"This is not a revolution, Ms. Morgan. You are children, and this is a school." Pomona told her firmly. "The issue at hand is your safety."

The room was silent for a moment, before Jasper stepped forward. "Professor… I have a friend in Slytherin – he's in the same year as me – and he could, potentially, keep an eye on Amy for the remainder of the school year."

She sighed. "While your suggestion in appreciated, Mr. Wilf, we can't guarantee he would do that, and it would probably cause more problems than its worth."

"They're already friends." Jasper shrugged. "They sit together at lunch all of the time." He gave the professor a pointed look.

For a reason unknown to the other three students, Professor Sprout's face cleared with understanding upon the statement. "I see." She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Still take Amelia to Hufflepuff tonight, please. I don't believe it's a good idea for her to be present in the Slytherin common room this eve."

"But do I have to stay there?" Amy asked softly.

Pomona sighed once more. "Stay close to your friends until I find a solution to this, Ms. Ross. Ms. Morgan, Mr. Johnson, go straight to your own common rooms. No dawdling."

The students were quick to head for the door, but she stopped them just before it. They all looked back to her, and she met each of their eyes individually. "Thank you for coming to me with this." They each nodded, and left without another word. Pomona sat still for a moment, thinking, before her head lifted at the sound of the door.

Amelia's little blonde head was poked through the small opening. "Thank you, Professor. And, um… Goodnight!" And with that, she was gone once more.

Pomona Sprout allowed herself to be angry, if just for a moment, that one of her students had to go through this. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. But it was a Sunday, so at least she didn't have to worry about teaching. She could focus on what to do about the situation at hand. Though there was somewhere else she needed to go before the night could conclude.

* * *

The meeting ended simply with the idea that they would keep an eye out, and watch all of the students closely in regards to the Chamber of Secrets and the writing on the walls. Because, as the headmaster had stated, the words on the wall were just words that created fear where there needn't be. Until something else happened that would prove to be dangerous, the best they could hope for was to find the culprit quickly.

Though, unfortunately, this wouldn't be the case. But they weren't aware of that yet.

As Dumbledore dismissed the teachers, Professor Pomona Sprout asked Snape to stay in the headmaster's office for a discussion. Flitwick and McGonagall left, trading looks.

"I have Amelia Ross in my common room." She told them.

"Pomona, I believe this may be out of timing just slightly." Dumbledore mentioned. "We have an issue involving the Chamber of Secrets."

"I'm aware of that, Headmaster." Professor Sprout told him coldly. "But that, as Flitwick was saying on the way in, could very well be a cruel prank."

"A cat has been petrified, and hung from the wall." Dumbledore argued. "Though it's incredibly likely that it could have been students who hold a high level of distaste for Mr. Filch, the message left on the corridor wall suggests otherwise. There aren't many in the school who know the meaning of it."

"It can be put aside for a moment to discuss a student's immediate safety, I would think." Pomona stared hard at the bearded man.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Very well, then."

She crossed her arms. "Thank you. Professor Snape, students of your house have been harassing Ms. Ross regularly."

The dark-haired potions master stared at her, emotionless. "Ms. Ross has not come to me with this before."

"She's coming to us now." She pointed at the floor as if to gesture to the present time they stood in as a whole. "And something must be done."

"May I ask what sort of harassment?" Dumbledore cut in.

"Notes. Names. Hiding her text books, tripping in the halls—"

"These all sound rather petty—"

" _Petty_?" She breathlessly interrupted Snape's interruption. "You think the constant bullying of a student is _petty_?"

"Teasing among children is—"

"Headmaster, allow me to respectfully tell you that what you were just about to say is unwise to finish." Professor Sprout growled at Dumbledore before he could finish. "This isn't just _teasing_. This is writing derogative terms on her things, and belittling her existence. The cause of her injury a few weeks ago was because she'd been shoved by a student in one of the corridors. And _you_ have done nothing about it!" She snapped the last sentence in Snape's direction.

Severus visibly flinched when she turned on him, though it was barely noticeable to the others in the room.

"What do you suggest we do? Pull her out of the program and place her back in _your_ house?" Snape asked harshly.

The anger began to melt from the woman. "I was going to. But she won't do it."

"What do you mean by 'she won't do it'?" Dumbledore asked calmly, trying to deescalate the situation.

Professor Sprout sighed. "She seems to believe that the overall bias and treatment of muggleborns will get worse if she does."

"She's not stupid, then. Of course it will." Snape's voice wasn't nearly as harsh as his words. "It will show that we would manipulate the situation to what they want it to be as long as they push hard enough. Everything would escalate."

He looked to Dumbledore, and saw the Headmaster deep in thought, stroking his long, white beard as he pondered the situation. Both Professors were silent as they observed him.

Then he looked up, furrowing his brow, to Pomona. "What did Ms. Ross plan to do instead of leave?"

"From what I gather, she was going to bear it until the end of the school year." Professor Sprout answered.

"Then why did she come to you?"

"She didn't." Pomona admitted. "Mr. Wilf and the other transfers brought her to me and made her explain what had been happening."

Severus Snape suddenly had an answer for what had happened earlier that evening with the four multicolored robes running past him.

"So, correct me if I'm misunderstanding the current situation, Ms. Ross was willing to simply ignore the treatment as best she could until the year finished out?" Dumbledore asked.

"It seems that way, yes." Pomona admitted.

Albus Dumbledore nodded slowly, debating on his next move. He could remove her from the Slytherin house and risk a raise in incidents against muggelborns in the school, or he could leave her where she was and see what came of it. "How are her grades?"

Professor Sprout lifted a single eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"How is Ms. Ross doing in her classes? Is she failing anything?" He repeated in more depth.

The professor hesitated. "Not Herbology. And Minerva says she's doing well in Transfiguration. I'm not certain of the others. Professor Snape?" She asked slowly.

Severus folded his arms over his chest slowly. "She isn't incompetent in potions, though there is definitely room for improvement. How, exactly, is this relevant, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore tapped a finger to his chin. "I do believe I'm going to leave Ms. Amelia Ross in Slytherin for the remainder of the year. It's not damaging her learning as of yet, so there is really no harm in it."

"No harm? Headmaster, I don't believe—"

"And Professor Snape will talk to the Slytherin house tonight about proper etiquette and school behavior, including leaving their biases at home. Isn't that right, Severus?" Dumbledore cut Pomona's objection of smoothly.

"Of course, Headmaster. Tonight, you said?"

"While Amelia Ross is in Hufflepuff, so there is no immediate lashing out for any reason." Dumbledore explained. "And please make it clear when you speak that there will be no punishment handed out for previous behavior, but anything further will result in loss of House Points and also detention. How does that sound to the both of you?"

They traded looks, Pomona's a worried expression while Severus's was something akin to a wall; blank and emotionless as stone. "Will you at least try and keep her out of the mess she's gotten in to?" She asked him softly.

Something changed on Snape's face. She hadn't expected it, so she barely registered it. It was a flash of… sympathy? Righteous anger? Deep sadness? She couldn't even pinpoint the emotion, it had flown across his features so quickly, turning his harsh features softer in the warm light of the headmaster's office. A bit of resolve hardened as his new expression as he seemed to decide something with a note of finality. "I suppose I could."

* * *

When they entered the kitchen, Amy gasped. "Oh, wait a moment!" She rushed off and into a conjoining room.

Jasper watched her disappear around the corner. "Ross, where are you going?"

No response.

He frowned, waiting silently for a few seconds, before beginning to trace her path. "Ross?" He called. For a moment, his mind brought up the imagined image of a massive monster from a secret chamber that had disturbed him as a child. He shook his head to rid himself of the vision before it could become real, but his panic stayed. "Amelia!"

He rushed around the corner and through the door to find Amy talking to a startled and awed-looking elf. It's tiny body was covered in an equally tiny dress with an apron that had the official Hogwarts crest stitched into it. The creature's massive eyes simply grew larger upon Jasper's entry, and a tiny gasp could be heard.

After looking over at Amy, and seeing that she was uninjured, Jasper gave an awkward wave in greeting. "Hello, there." He'd heard about house elves. But, coming from one of the tiniest and insignificant Pureblood families, he'd never had one at his house. Or in his presence for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Jasper, this is Pip. Pip, this is my friend Jasper." Amy introduced them.

"Oh, I know Master Wilf." The house elf, Pip, said. "He's a Hufflepuff, but a new one. From Slytherin. Like you were from Hufflepuff, but now you're a new Slytherin. And you mustn't stay long, miss."

"I know, Pip." Amy said patiently. "But could you please do me a favor?"

"Oh, anything Mistress, anything. But you mustn't stay long." She repeated. Jasper looked at the house elf, and realized that she was rather old. He wondered, absentmindedly, how long it takes for house elves to die natural deaths in a healthy place such as this.

"I have a friend in Slytherin, and she came down here before to ask for extra jam to be placed on the Slytherin table." Amy told her.

"I remember her." Pip said with a confident nod.

"Well, would you please do the same tomorrow?"

"Extra jam on the Slytherin table?"

"If it isn't too much trouble." Amy told her.

"No, no, of course it isn't. I will see that extra jam be put on the Slytherin table tomorrow for your friend." Pip reassured her. "Now you mustn't stay! Goodnight!" She shooed them both out the door and toward the barrels stacked against the wall gently.

"Goodnight, Pip! You're amazing." Amelia said.

Pip's ginormous eyes filled with tears. "Thank you."

Amelia grinned, happy to see the happy tears in the elf's eyes, as Jasper tapped his wand on the barrels to open the entrance to Hufflepuff.

Inside was pandemonium.

Before they were noticed by the rest of the house gathered in the common room, there was mild chaos in the form of energetic chatter, some excited and some terrified, as they discussed the mysterious writing on the wall. Due to a distinct lack of Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff, the mild chaos wasn't as mild as the word itself suggests. It was just mild compared to what came after Amelia's presence was made known.

Jasper had always hated crowds. It wasn't because he didn't like people, and it wasn't because he found the presence of others annoying. It was mostly because tight spaces made him extraordinarily uncomfortable.

He had discovered this odd phenomenon upon playing hide-and-seek with one of his cousins, and had tried to hide behind a wardrobe in a spare bedroom. Then it felt as if he were being squashed like a bug underneath some giant's shoe. His chest constricted, and he couldn't breathe, and his vision stretched until it seemed like he was viewing the room from the end of a tunnel.

He lost the game due to his pulling himself from the space in a panic and lying flat on the ground in an attempt to recover. He'd been teased afterword about trying to turn himself into a rug.

This is what caused him to shrink backward as students rushed at them when they entered.

Amy looked overwhelmed as well as she was slammed with numerous inquiries about her time in Slytherin, and her purpose of being back there, and could she tell them anything about the common room, and what sort of cookies did they have there?

"All right, _enough_ , excuse me." Someone pushed their way through the crowd. Upon reaching Amy, she turned back and shouted " _Hey_!" To the group of students who quieted quickly. "Give her some breathing room. Sheesh, are you _trying_ to smother her before she can say anything?" She made a shooing motion with her hands before turning back to Amy and Jasper.

"Hello, Bene." Amy greeted breathlessly.

The Prefect smiled kindly at her. "Hello, Amy. What brings you here?"

She could practically feel the eyes on her and didn't fail to notice that every student seemed intent on hearing what she would say in answer. "I'm here because Professor Sprout told me to come here instead for the night."

Bene knew this wasn't the whole truth, but was also aware of the amount of people in immediate hearing vicinity. "Well, welcome back then! We have some marshmallows on the snack table."

Amy gasped. " _Marshmallows_?" She squealed. Without waiting for confirmation, she practically dove into the crowd to swim in the direction of the soft, fluffy, white treats.

Bene laughed, and the crowd dispersed slowly, realizing there was no longer anything of interest happening, and their questions weren't going to be answered anytime soon. So they returned to their groups to discuss the possibilities animatedly. About both Amy's experiences and the writing on the wall.

"So, why is she really here?" Bene asked Jasper quietly.

He looked away, and she noticed that the action was completed in something akin to shame. "I took her to Professor Sprout a little while ago to deal with a bullying issue in Slytherin."

Bene turned serious. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "I really don't think it's my place to tell you."

"I've known Amelia Ross for nearly two years, and she doesn't strike me as the kind of kid that will tell you everything once you ask. I'm not going to hear anything from her. The fact that you had to take her to Professor Sprout is evidence of that." Bene said. "And I want to know what the Professors are handling so I can keep my eye out for a potential backlash."

Jasper nodded slowly, understanding. "It's mostly name calling, but it's also notes stuck on her things with magical adhesive."

She frowned. "This has to do with her lineage, doesn't it?"

Jasper nodded sadly.

She huffed. "It's so stupid. All of that pure-blood supremacy is nonsense."

"Trust me, I know." He looked away.

"I guess we both do." She admitted.

He looked back at her. "You're a pure-blood?"

"Yeah," She said. "Not all of us are in Slytherin. Just the cunning ones." She winked at him. "I'm going to get myself a 'mallow. Thanks for telling me, Jasper."

"Uh, sure." Jasper said with a small smile as he watched her meet up and begin chatting with Amy. The Hufflyn was shoving marshmallows into her mouth as soon as there was room. In the back of his mind the hope crossed that she wouldn't choke on them.

For a moment, he looked at her bright green robes, in the sea of yellow. It was how he'd felt his entire time in Hufflepuff, though they were always so welcoming. He was from the outside. It wasn't the same. But as he watched Amy interact with the students around her, he saw unity.

And, briefly, he imagined that unity throughout the school. Because they weren't supposed to be separated in such a dramatic way where interaction was the same as with someone from another continent entirely. They were all students there to learn. They were all people there trying to succeed in whatever way they chose.

Jasper sighed deeply, and wished that everyone else would see it, too.

* * *

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll probably be back soon. If I get too behind in word count, though, I'll push off an update until I have time to read through it to check for any super obvious grammar mistakes. If anything is too bad, let me know.

It is now Switch the Patch canon that Jasper is claustrophobic, and Amy adores marshmallows.

I can't believe this is my tenth chapter... wow. This is crazy. Thank you to all who have followed/favorited/reviewed this story! It means a lot, really.

Catch you later!


	11. Undoing a Cage's Latch

A/N: Wow, another update? What is this? Insanity, probably. I'm going nuts. I actually had time to write today. And not just a little, but enough to catch up and surpass my needed total to stay on track. I can't honestly believe it happened, but here's another chapter. Boom. All written today. A surprise gift from my muse.

Disclaimer: Is identical as before, so I won't waste your time, but I really own nothing except the OCs. And I apologize for grammar and/or terminology.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Amy took a deep breath. This would probably be bad. She had to go back to the Slytherin common room to grab her text books that she needed for the day. Luckily she didn't have any classes, as it was a Sunday, but she was planning on studying and working on homework with the other transfers, so she needed to grab some of them.

She stood in front of the cool stone wall, and took a calming breath. " _Patefacio_ ," was the password, and after Amy said it, the wall opened to reveal the common room.

It was lit in a relaxing glow of fire and wall light. You could, on occasion, see fish swim by the windows that exposed the depths of the Hogwarts Lake. Amy didn't pay either fact much mind though, her thoughts rooted on the possible attack that awaited her.

But no one paid her any mind. In fact, some blatantly ignored her, purposefully turning away. It was rude, sure, but she didn't really mind it in light of what it could have been.

Amy slowly entered the room, and went straight in the direction of her dorm.

She ran into Lynne while in the hallway.

"Amy! Merlin's front tooth, I was worried." She said energetically.

Amy giggled. "I don't think that's a real wizard's swear."

Lynne grinned, then scowled. "You didn't come back last night!"

"Did you feed Pasco?"

"Of course I did. Here, have a hair clip." Lynne passed the blonde a sliver bow, and Amy quickly snapped it into her hair, pulling it back from her face. "I guess it was a good thing you didn't, actually."

"Why?" Amy asked, removing her fingers from her curls. "What happened last night?"

"Snape came in and told everyone that the bullying needed to stop. But, you know, he was much scarier." Lynne supplied.

"Oh dear." Amy placed her face into her hand.

"Don't worry, he didn't mention you specifically. But I have a feeling that everyone knew exactly who he was talking about." She leaned closer. "He told them that they needed to try their best to leave biases at home, and looked _straight_ _at_ Draco Malfoy."

Amy paled a shade, lowering her hand. "Are you serious?"

Lynne nodded. "It was pretty dramatic. I've never heard a place full of teenagers so quiet."

Amy let out a frustrated noise. "This is getting ridiculous." She began stomping back down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Lynne asked.

"I've got to grab my text books. I'll see you at lunch." She said, the frustration still evident in her voice. What Lynne said, however, did explain the blatant ignoring she'd received from the rest of Slytherin.

"What about breakfast?" Lynne called after her.

"I'm skipping." Amy shouted over her shoulder before shoving the door to her dorm room open.

* * *

It was the loud, angry shouts that cued him in first. There was trouble.

Instead of just casually walking as he had been, as the corridors were relatively empty that morning, Maxwell Johnson began to run toward the angered words that he still could not make out. They'd stopped by the time he turned the corner to find Amy, hand just inside of the front of her robe and a scowl on her face. She let out a breath of relief, her head turned to watch something at the end of the corridor.

"Amy, what happened?" Max asked her.

She turned to him, obviously flustered. "On my way to class. Stopped by… someone. I've seen them around but never caught their name."

"There was shouting. Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She dropped her hand, and Max realized she'd been reaching for her wand. "I'm fine. It just surprised me."

"What was the shouting about?" He asked, stepping closer.

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Amelia, they were yelling at you. It wasn't nothing."

"It was nothing to me. Apparently." She responded quickly. "It's because I went and told. Basically it was them shouting at me because what happens in Slytherin is supposed to stay there, especially when it came to me because I didn't belong there in the first place and really it's my fault anything happened to begin with."

Max realized that she was still full of adrenaline, and needed to lose some of it before she went into a full panic. "Walk with me?" He offered, gesturing in the opposite direction the Hufflyn kept looking toward in paranoia.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, not a single word exchanged. Max knew the activity would calm her down. After a stretch, she began to slow into more of a relaxed pace, and he slowed with her. "So… shouting? Nothing else?"

Amy shook her head silently.

"Well, that's good, I suppose."

She laughed. "Yes, I guess it is."

He smiled at her. "Do you have your text books?"

"Yes."

"Me, too. Let's go early." Max suggested.

Amy frowned at him. "You want to go early?"

"Sure. Then we'll get extra points in Elisa's book."

Again, she laughed softly, and looked back in the direction she was walking.

She then realized that she hadn't really had a full-length conversation with just Max, and knew very little about him. Because of this, she went through her mind for anything that could spark conversation. "Do you have any siblings, Max?" Amy asked.

He smirked. "A younger sister, actually."

Amy stopped to stare at him a moment before continuing to walk. "Really? Does she come here?"

"No, she's only seven. Wait… what day is it?"

"November first."

"Tomorrow she'll be eight. I need to send her something." Max said to himself, hoping that he would remember.

"That's wonderful!" Amy said. "Happy almost-birthday to your sister."

Max grinned, and they continued to walk. "How about you, Amy? Siblings?"

"No, I'm the only one." She said. "Scared my parents half to death, finding out that their only child had magic. Looking back, though, it was rather funny."

"What was?" Max wanted to know.

"Their faces when we went to Diagon Alley." Amy elaborated. "I loved it. But my father teaches science at a local school and was so completely baffled by everything we came across."

Max chuckled in response, and they stepped out of the doors to the same court yard they'd met in two days before. It was chilly once more, but there was no wind at the moment so it was bearable with the bright sun on a cloudless day.

Amy settled her things on the wall, pulling herself up next to them to sit. She pushed her Herbology book aside; she already had it practically memorized due to her repeated encounters with the plants listed throughout the Hufflepuff common room. And she'd just been refreshed by the visit the night before. Sleeping in her old dorm again had been nice.

Next to get moved aside was the potions book. It was the only thing she could study quietly with the exception of History of Magic and Herbology. And whenever she couldn't figure out a spell, she would angrily pull out her potions text book and read a section of it.

Amy hadn't bothered grabbing any of Professor Lockhart's novels. So the next on the stack was Transfiguration.

"Elisa mentioned that you were struggling with that." Max mentioned from where he was still standing as she lifted the text book.

Amy shrugged. "Only in practice. I've been struggling on my own, so I've tried reading a lot of different spell theory books and things like that." She said, glancing at him before opening the book. "Most of it is gibberish to me."

"Well, you _are_ only twelve." He said.

"You're only thirteen." She countered.

He frowned before nodding his head. "That's true. I'll be fourteen in February, though. So what's your problem?"

Amy sighed. "It's just casting. Charms are the worst, but my Transfiguration isn't much better."

"And you're struggling in classes, but the professors aren't helping?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, not at all." She shook her head. "According to Professor Flitwick, I'm nearly the highest in class. Below Hermione and Draco."

"What does Elisa say?" Max wondered then.

"Well, she says I'm doing really well, too."

"Then why do you think you're struggling?"

"I don't _think_ ," She told him. "I _know_ I am. They aren't working."

He crossed his arms. "All right, then show me."

Amy huffed, stood, pulled out her wand, and lifted it. " _Lumos_." As she spoke the word, her wand's tip light up with a light Max could see easily, even though they were outside in the day time. " _Nox_." The light vanished.

She frowned, and pointed her wand at a stray leaf settled on the stones in front of her. " _Confringo_." The dead, therefore dry, leaf suddenly burst into flames, the bright fire encasing it and turning it to ash in a matter of seconds. She scowled at the blackened spot on the ground.

Max unfolded his arms and pulled himself onto the stone wall lining the edge of the courtyard. "It seems to be working fine."

"Then… why doesn't it work when I'm alone?" Amy asked, frustration evident in her voice. "It takes forever for me to learn anything."

"You've got those three really well." Max observed. "Better than me. I still struggle with Confringo."

She huffed, stuffed her wand back into its place in her robes, and pulled herself up onto the wall next to him. "I just… don't understand it."

Max nodded his head. "I wish I had an answer for you, but I'm equally confused." He admitted.

Amy sighed sadly. "I wish you did, too."

About an hour later, Jasper and Elisabeth arrived. They spent an hour or so studying in relative silence, only speaking when they had questions or something to discuss with the group. Due to the difference in years, everyone learned something new from their peers. Even Jasper, who was the oldest, because he took the time to listen to Elisabeth's point of view on a few different wars that happened in Magical History.

Beyond that, though… everything went normally. Until they went to leave. They were all headed for lunch, but Max held Jasper back, telling the girls to go on ahead. They traded questioning looks, but did so without comment.

The ginger turned his brown eyes to meet Max's. "What is it?"

"There's a reason Amy and I were early to the meeting point today." Max admitted, and explained the encounter he'd just missed in the corridor between Amelia Ross and another Slytherin.

Throughout the explanation, Jasper's face grew more serious. When Max finished, he exhaled sharply through his nose, and looked away without a word.

Max watched him for a moment. "Listen, mate. I know we've got loads of differences, but this isn't good. You said you had a friend that could watch her."

"I do, but I haven't gotten a chance to talk with him yet." Jasper admitted.

"Will he actually keep an eye on her, though? Or won't he?" Max asked seriously.

"He will. Trust me." Jasper said.

Max gave him a look, and the Slytherpuff sighed. "I know that's hard, Johnson, but do it. Besides, you know who I'm talking about."

Maxwell frowned. "I do?"

"Rory Nelson." Jasper told him.

"Ah, the one who came up with your nickname?" Max checked with a sly smile.

Jasper glared. "Yes, him. He already keeps a good eye on her."

"What for?"

"He… helps muggleborns in Slytherin." Jasper said carefully. He'd been hesitant to say anything before, so he hadn't. But after the last few months of knowing Max, he knew he could trust him. Even if the feeling wasn't mutual.

"Well, he must be out of a job often." Max remarked. But when he received a hard stare from Jasper, he lifted his eyebrows. "Oh. You mean… there's…?"

"Yes."

"And you… you don't…?"

"No."

"You actually… I mean you actually know this but haven't said anything?" Max couldn't believe it, it seemed.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yes, I knew about it. No, I haven't said anything because it's still secret."

"But you're a pure-blood Slytherin!" Max exclaimed.

"That doesn't mean I'm evil!" Jasper retorted. "It just means I'm privileged. Now come on. Enough worrying about that. I'll talk to Nelson later, but we have to get Lunch before it's over."

Max was relatively silent for the rest of the walk, and even after he sat at the Ravenclaw table on his own, he stayed absorbed in a thoughtful silence. It was a big deal, learning the information Jasper had just provided him with. There were muggleborns in Slytherin.

About half way through the lunch, he looked up to find Jasper at the Hufflepuff table, smiling at something one of the Hufflepuff students had said and frowned. Jasper wasn't what he'd been told Pure-Bloods were supposed to be like.

And neither apparently was his house, Max noted as he turned in his seat to find two people seated with Amy and making her laugh. It was just so bizarre. And suddenly Max saw that prejudice went both ways. And, no matter what side of the battle you're on, prejudice was always unfounded once looked for in the group as a whole.

* * *

Amelia walked back to the common room with Lynne and Rory after the meal, smiling and laughing as they discussed absolutely nothing they would remember as important at a later date. It was the memory of the smiles that would stick in their minds, which is as it should be.

But upon their entry, Amy had to leave them. "Hold on, I have to put my textbooks back. I don't want to keep carrying them around." She said.

"You should learn a shrinking charm." Rory said. "Then you could carry all of them easier."

"But wouldn't they have the same weight, just condensed?" Amy asked.

Rory frowned. "Sorry?"

Amy shook her head, thinking that she could just also learn a feather-light charm to make it easier. "Never mind. I'll be back in a moment." She said as a way of farewell before walking down the hall to her dorm room.

Once she opened the door, however, a horrible smell filled her nose, and caused her to need to swallow hard before she would vomit. It smelled like when her father had accidentally left one of his dissecting projects in the kitchen without taking care of them.

She tried her best to ignore it as she went to her trunk to place her books in it. But the smell only got stronger. That was when an idea occurred to her, and she felt the blood rush from her face as her heart began to beat harder.

She put her books away with shaking arms, and crawled over to the side of her bed. Slowly, terrified of what she would find, Amy pulled the small cage out from under her bed frame. Inside was Pasco, unmoving. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him, hoping beyond reason that she would see him move, breathe, _something_.

But nothing happened.

She pulled out her wand in a shaking hand. " _Tergeo_."

As she spoke the spell, the dirt and decay that was covering the bottom of the container disappeared, along with most of the smell, just leaving her frog. She sniffed, and wiped her face on her robe sleeve before putting her wand away and lifting the cage.

She carried it out into the common room, looking at it numbly.

"Amy? What's wrong?" Rory asked when she got close enough for them to notice her and what she was holding.

Lynne stepped closer to look in the cage, and covered her mouth with her hand in mute horror.

Rory came closer, and looked into the cage. "Oh, Amy."

She tearfully tried to explain. "I… I was helping him." She sniffed. "He was hurt. His leg… and I was helping him. He was almost better." There was a broken sob. "I was going to let him out on Tuesday. But…" She began to cry.

Lynne stared at her, unsure of what to do, hand still over her mouth.

Rory looked around to see how many people she'd drawn the attention of, and found quite a few. The common room was relatively empty due to a Hogsmeade visit, but a couple specifically were smirking, and he glared at them. So this wasn't an accident, then?

"Come on. Let's go." He rested a hand gently on her shoulder and guided her out of the common room and up the steps. It took until they were in the corridors and on their way outside when she finally regained control of herself. And by then, her eyes were red and puffy, and she was completely silent.

The memory of laughing was gone then. She was left with only the fleeting sense that she'd experienced it before. But it brushed the back of her mind like the breeze brushed at sand. Shifting it slightly, but never disrupting what was present.

When they exited the castle, Rory led them to the lake. On the beautiful day, quite a few students were walking about in the yards, but none of them paid attention to the funeral march that was happening with the two Slytherins and transfer student.

Lynne opened the cage and looked inside. "What do you want to do, Amy?"

She shook her head mutely, indicating that she didn't know.

Rory thought for a moment. "I think I have an idea."

He left them for a moment, and came back with a rather large leaf. It was of the same length as Rory's forearm, and it was thick. Lynne caught on quickly, and reached into the cage, lifting Pasco gently.

She set the frog into the leaf in Rory's hands, and Rory placed it on the river. The frog began to float away peacefully.

Amy inhaled deeply, and set the cage down at her feet before scrambling for her wand. Just as Rory and Lynne were both about to ask what she was doing, she pointed it clumsily at the floating frog and said a spell. " _Incendio_." The frog and leaf lit on fire.

She didn't stay to watch, the Hufflyn hefting the now-empty cage underneath her arm and striding back toward the castle without another word.

Rory and Lynne, on the other hand, stayed for a moment, standing in silence as if to honor the memory of the frog Amy had kept under her bed.

"It's probably my fault." Lynne said softly, after a few minutes. "I fed him last night, and Mavis was there. Amy always waited until the other girls were gone, but it was already late and they wouldn't be leaving. So I tried to feed him without her noticing. I thought I did. But I guess not."

Rory nodded. "Things happen, Morr."

"But they shouldn't." Lynne countered. "Not to anyone." She looked Rory in the eyes, which made her have to look up as he was rather tall. "Not to Amy."

She then followed after her friend.

Rory stayed to make sure the fire went out safely.

* * *

A/N: That was sad. I don't like writing sad things, but there's a sad thing. Will there be more sad things? Probably. I'm running out of words. Also, I have no coffee.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** Thank you so much for your review! I'm so incredibly happy that you're excited about my posting things often. Isn't it lovely when you can just get updates like this all of the time? I love it. Also, expect me to be posting a lot. Probably not every day, as it has been, but more often then I would otherwise. Probably every other day-ish? I'm not sure. Thank you so much for reading my story!

Thank you to those who have favorited/followed/reviewed my story! You're all amazing.

Catch you later


	12. Fresh Batch

A/N: I know this one is sort of short, but what's after this needed its own chapter, so... this is how it's working out. Thank you so much to everyone who's reading this. Whether you like it or you don't. Whether you favorite/follow/review this or you don't. Thank you nonetheless, and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still not British, still no beta, still not rich (translation: I don't own Harry Potter).

I hope you like it! On with the show...

* * *

That Wednesday, November fourth, there was a discussion in History of Magic, and everyone in Amy's year was spreading the information acquired from the ghostly Professor Binns. Soon, everyone in the school knew of the legend behind the Chamber of Secrets. It certainly didn't help the fear that was already seeping into everyone's actions and thoughts.

In fact, the only person it did help was Amy, and that was because many that would have otherwise been hostile only sent glares her way as their friends whispered about letting Slytherin's beast have her. Because surely the heir of Slytherin would see the wrong in her presence and get rid of her.

So… not the most pleasant solution, but Amy wouldn't be complaining.

But she still felt the weight of her frog. Occasionally, she would catch herself peeking underneath her bed, and firmly remind herself that he wasn't there anymore.

Then there was the Quidditch match. The first of the official season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Gryffindor won, due to the ringer of a seeker they had on their team, but young Harry Potter also received a broken arm from a stray, and possibly rogue, Bludger. And once again everyone was in awe of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart's ability to be wrong as he magically removed the bones in Harry's arm.

"At least they're not broken." Had been Max's comment before being firmly smacked on the back of the head by Elisa before she told him the inappropriateness of his comment.

"He _literally_ has _no_ _bones_ in his arm, Maxwell!" She scolded.

"There's a potion for that." He defended.

"A _painful_ potion." She countered.

He never conceded, and it took her a while to let it go. But they both did, eventually. Mostly because the next day, the first student was attacked.

Poor little Colin Creevey, a first year, attacked by this mysterious beast. Frozen solid by magic – petrified, the teaching staff had said – with his camera still in hand. No one even knew for sure what it was that was attacking people. Some students that were exceptionally curious went to their text books, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ being the most popular. But they would never get past the first page. This was, of course, because they would spend the entirety of their free time debating on creatures found there alone.

Then there was the insanity that was the selling and distribution of talismans in the school. So many rumors present and spread that if each one had a physical representation, there would be a desperate need to clear the halls of Hogwarts due to overcrowding. It was getting ridiculous.

And then, as if in a blink, it went from November ninth to December fourth. A Friday.

They sat in the library that day for their regular meeting, as it was getting painfully cold outside.

"How are things with you all?" Jasper asked. "Anything new to share?"

"They're at it again. Honestly, Elisa, they're insane." Max put in.

Amy frowned. "Who?"

"Janna and James Sallow." Max huffed. "I've had it up to here." He lifted his hand, parallel with the floor, to about his nose.

Amy smiled. "Oh, I know them now!" She said, recalling the event in October that had put her in the hospital wing. The siblings had sat with her until Cedric Diggory could return with Madame Pomfrey.

"Yeah, well after all of the trouble they've caused in the common room – what with metal poles and electricity and obnoxious noises and the like – they have the nerve to come and ask _me_ to _participate_ in one of their experiments!" Max sounded offended by the prospect.

"Oh?" Elisa seemed surprised. "Normally Janna just uses her brother."

Max stared at her. "So, wait… Janna experiments on her brother?"

"Why else do you think James is there? He's not into science. Not at all." Elisa told him. "I've had excellent discussions with him about the plots of some muggle novels, though."

Max shook his head in disbelief.

"Well I think it's nice that they get along so well." Amy said.

"Yeah," Elisa agreed. "They balance each other out really well. Just like Fred and George." She smirked.

"Oh, so they're like twins?" Jasper asked, knowing that some siblings could be that close.

"No, not _like_." Elisa corrected him. "They _are_ twins."

Max's eyes widened before he slumped into his chair in resignation. "No wonder," He whimpered. "No wonder they're such trouble. I've traded houses, gone to an _entirely_ different section of Hogwarts, and what do I get? Another set of twin trouble."

"You know, Max, a lot of people thought you looked up to the Weasley twins." Elisa mentioned.

"Why, because I followed them around?" Max asked. At her nod, he sighed. "I did at first, but then I saw the mess they left behind. Sometime around the middle of last year I became part of disaster prevention."

Amy giggled. And giggled some more, until all three of her fellow transfer students were staring at her. "I'm sorry, it's just that you, Max, were around the Weasley twins to pick up after them," She kept giggling, just managing to add the next portion of her sentence. "And Elisa's helping them make the messes!"

"It _is_ pretty ironic." Jasper mentioned.

Max scowled. "How so?"

"Gryffindors are known to be rowdy and loud and cause trouble, while Ravenclaws are stereotyped as sensible and predictable." Jasper tried to explain, gesturing at each student in turn for their original houses. "Now you, a Gryffindor, go to Ravenclaw and complain about the unpredictability and lack of sense. And Elisa goes to Gryffindor and helps the twins cause trouble."

They all thought about it for a moment. "But enough about twins and their tendencies," Max said suddenly. "What are your Christmas plans?"

"Isn't it a bit early for that question?" Elisa asked, subdued.

"They're going to start taking names for the kids going home on Christmas break starting Monday." Jasper told her. "I think Max wants to know who's staying and who's going."

"Wow... you're not wrong." Max feigned surprise. "You must know me really well, Jazz."

Amy tensed, but was relieved to see that Jasper rolled his eyes in annoyance and let it go.

"I'm going home." Elisa told them quickly.

"I'll be going home as well." Jasper mentioned. "There's a Winter Gala I need to go to."

"Oh, fancy." Max wiggled his fingers in the air. "What's the occasion?"

"Beyond Christmas?" Jasper asked with a lifted eyebrow. "My father is a painter, and he has work going on display starting next year. So he's invited to the Gala."

"I didn't know your father was an artist. What does he paint?" Amy asked.

Jasper looked down at where his hands were folded on the table. "Loads of things. I think he's getting some of his landscapes put on display, but his favorite to do are portraits."

"Wow." Amy suddenly had a thought. "Do they… you know… move?"

Jasper smiled. "Not all of them, but some yes."

"I'm going home as well." Max mentioned. "What about you, Amy?"

"Oh, I'll probably stay."

Her announcement was greeted with three surprised expressions. "What on earth for?" Elisa asked.

Amy shrugged. "Why not?"

"Don't you want to go back to your parents?" Max asked.

She smiled sadly. "Of course I do. I'm not staying to avoid them."

"Then why are you staying?" Jasper asked.

"Isn't it enough that I want to?" Amy asked, getting slightly defensive.

The real reason was that her parents had sent her a letter the week previously, so very confused by the concept of an owl delivery service, but it was to tell her that they wouldn't be able to get her from the station due to a lack of funds, and would be asking around to figure out how to send her presents through the wizarding postage system, however it worked.

Sensing that they should probably leave the subject where it was, Elisa cleared her throat and changed the topic of conversation. "Did any of you notice the new fliers hanging up in the common rooms?"

"The one about the Dueling Club?" Jasper asked. "Yes, but it's being taught by Lockhart."

"I really don't see the point of going." Admitted Max.

"It's for those who feel unprotected. It's similar to putting the power of defense in the hands of the people." Elisa said. "Almost… therapeutic. Mostly because one class won't teach them much more than the basic sense of what to do."

"And it won't work against a monster, most likely." Max put in.

Elisa nodded. "All of this Medusa business is actually rather freaky."

Jasper frowned. "Medusa, as in the woman with snakes for hair?"

"From Greek mythology, yes." Elisa tipped her head. "I found it fitting. Because the victims are frozen solid. It's similar to being turned to stone."

"The difference is that Colin can be cured." Amy said confidently, before looking at Jasper, and softening her tone. "How is Professor Sprout?"

"Emotionally?" Jasper asked with a grimace. "I've seen her better. The care of the Mandrakes is taking a lot out of her."

"I noticed she seems more tired in classes." Elisa confessed.

Max shook his head. "It _is_ a lot of pressure, having to make sure the plants are healthy and survive through the winter. It was a good thing she'd started them before any of this happened."

They all mutely nodded their heads in agreement, thinking of the plants that they had just handled earlier that semester, looking like tiny, wrinkled babies at the roots. Their cries could be deadly, if they were old enough, but Professor Sprout had given them all earmuffs to block out most of the sound. And they had all learned that Mandrakes could cure those petrified. None present that year would be forgetting that piece of information any time soon.

Jasper took a deep breath. "So, who's going to the Dueling Club?"

Amy raised her hand and, again, three surprised heads turned to her. "What?" She asked defensively. "I think it could potentially be... fun."

"With Lockhart teaching?" Elisa asked, knowing of the mutual distaste they held for the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"I'll take everything with a grain of salt and double check with you." Amy said. "But I want to see what happens. Are any of you going?"

"An extra class at eight in the evening?" Max shook his head. "I'm just fine without it, thanks."

"Elisa?" Amy asked.

"Sorry, Amy, but I'm not going." She crossed her arms. "He already gets on my nerves."

Amy looked to Jasper, he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Honestly, I don't think I want an extra class with Lockhart teaching. It will probably be absolute rubbish."

"It's practically guaranteed." Max put in.

Amy sighed. "Well, I guess I'll tell you what happened that Thursday. How does that sound?"

They all gave her phrases of confirmation before the talk died down for a moment, and they began discussing possibilities for supper. Max was betting on mashed potatoes and gravy. Elisa was hoping for some fruit pie as a dessert. Jasper wanted some biscuits, and Amy was silently wishing that there would be turkey. Luckily for them, it was all of the above.

* * *

The meeting they had the week after discussed similar topics. Again, Max brought up Christmas. "Are you sure you want to stay?" He asked Amelia

She nodded her head. "I already told Professor Snape that I was staying."

The Gryffinclaw shrugged, and shifted in his seat.

"Why haven't you let it go yet?" Elisa wondered aloud.

He glared lightly at her. "I've let it go. It's just… with the Chamber of Secrets business, and Amy being a muggleborn—"

"She'll be safe with teachers all around her and a curfew." Elisa interrupted. "We have to trust that the adults know what they're doing."

"But what if they _don't_ know what they're doing?" Max asked.

"Then they'll figure it out." Jasper cut in. "If Amy wants to stay, then the teachers will keep her safe, and we will all have to deal with whatever happens while we're gone."

"And besides, I'm going to a Dueling Club next week. I'll learn loads of really useful information when battling Slytherin monsters." Amelia added facetiously.

Elisa smirked, and Max rolled his eyes.

"Way to be optimistic, Ross." Jasper commented.

She shrugged. "I try."

"Also, what happened in joined potions yesterday?" Jasper asked her. "Students your year in Hufflepuff were talking about it, but I don't know what happened."

"It was fireworks." Amy stated rather simply. "Someone set them off in the middle of class. The room was chaos. Everyone's pretty sure it was Harry who did it."

"Harry Potter?" Elisa asked. "What purpose would he have?"

Amy shrugged. "No one can prove it was him, and I didn't see it. So I can't even say for certain that it _was_ him."

"That's a good point." Jasper agreed.

"If he did, then the Weasley twins would be proud." Max mentioned with a shake of his head. "I guarantee Professor Snape was miserable trying to clean up afterword."

They were all silent for a moment as they pondered the logic of completing such a destructive act in class.

"What do you all want for Christmas?" Amy asked curiously.

They all thought about it for a long moment.

"Chocolate frogs." Elisa said.

Max smirked. " _Just_ Chocolate frogs?"

"They're my favorite!" Elisa defended. "What do _you_ want?"

Max pursed his lips and tapped a finger to his chin as he thought. "Maybe… a deck of playing cards."

" _Just_ a regular deck of playing cards?" Jasper asked, subtly teasing him for teasing Elisa.

"I could use them!" Max defended, not unlike his own victim had at his comment. "What do _you_ want?"

"Oh," Jasper frowned. "I hadn't really thought that much about it. Perhaps a hat. A warm one to cover my ears. How about you, Amy?"

"What?" She blinked. "Oh, I just wanted to know what you all wanted."

"Well now you know, but we want to know your answer." Max said with a smirk.

Amy tipped her head thoughtfully. "Well… I guess I really like Elisa's idea. Candy. I haven't tried very many of the wizarding kind yet."

"Good to know." Jasper said with a thoughtful nod.

Amelia smiled broadly; now she knew what each of them wanted. She could see how close she could get with the resources she had.

The interesting thing was that she wasn't alone in the idea. They were each thinking of the same plan, and would wait to act on it until they could figure out details.

Each of them hoped that they could make one another's Christmas even better, which is a noble cause no matter the holiday. Don't you agree?

* * *

A massive blizzard made itself known, falling in sheets, turning the outside world a suffocating white. The generous flurry started on the morning of the Thursday that the Dueling Club would take place at eight o'clock in the evening. It built up against the halls of the castle, sneaking in through the doors as students opened and closed them. Some were going out to use the snow as means of ammunition and pelt spheres of the stuff at each other. Others were going out to simply enjoy the peace that came with the muffled world. And then there were the few that had been out already and were returning early, to either get warmer clothes, or to go back to classes. Or to get hot chocolate, of course. That's always an option.

Max was on his own, but meandering around the court yard. He paused as he saw someone he recognized doing something very curious.

He approached the pair cautiously. "What are you doing?"

The Sallow twins didn't pause in there work, but James looked up and smiled at Max. "Shoveling snow into buckets. What does it look like?"

"Shoveling snow into buckets, I suppose." Max admitted. "But what for?"

"Oh, you know… Janna has something she wants to test. Can't do it out here, though; it will distort the control sample." James explained vaguely.

Max was the same age as the two siblings, but certainly didn't feel it. Something about the fact that they were always up to something made him feel older. More responsible. And their level of knowledge made him feel so much younger. As was his life in the Ravenclaw house.

"All right… what are you testing, Janna?" He asked her.

She glanced up, hearing her name, but didn't stop shoveling with her hands. "Firstly, whether or not these woolen gloves keep the snow off of my hands. I cast an Impervius charm on them. We'll see if it protects what's inside of the material, or only the material itself."

Max nodded slowly. "Right… and why does that matter?"

She dropped a rather large bunch of white fluff into her bucket before straightening to look at him. "Don't you ever wonder where the limitations of magic lie?"

He blinked owlishly at her, a blank look on his face.

James shrugged. "Me neither. But she cares, and she's got me curious."

"The both of you are so complacent." She muttered under her breath. "I want to know how much I can trust this weird power I've been given. Where do I draw the line of trust? What if, one day, this knowledge could save a life but no one knew about it?"

Max smirked at her. "I honestly just think it's cool we can make things float at will."

Janna rolled her eyes and lifted her bucket. "Bring yours when it's full, please." She told James, before walking off.

"Does she really think she can get that all of the way to Ravenclaw tower without it spilling or melting?" Max wondered aloud.

"Of course. She did some sort of charm on the bucket as well." James admitted.

Max smiled. "How does she know she can trust it to work?" It was said in a slightly mocking tone.

James smirked back, a knowing look present in his eyes as he hefted his own bucket. "She's tested it."

* * *

A/N: Thank you again, so much, for reading! I hope you liked it! Next chapter, we're dealing with the Dueling Club... I've been waiting on this for a long time. I'll get it posted as soon as it's finished.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** OKAY, so I was nearly done editing this chapter when you reviewed and I was all "HONEY MUSHROOM IS THAT A REVIEW?" and turns out, it totally was... I'm very happy right now. Thank you for such a positive review! Honestly, you've made my day with it, and I'm really glad you're enjoying this story! And of course I noticed! I read every review I receive, and I'm genuinely thankful for each of them.

Catch you later


	13. The Overmatch

A/N: I'm back already! AND I'M SO HAPPY. Okay, so I've had most of this chapter written since I started writing this fic, and I've been waiting for it. Impatiently. But here it is! Yay! I hope it came out onto the page as I imagined it. Or close to it... we'll see.

Disclaimer: I actually took direct quotes from J. K. Rowling's _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ , because no one writes Professor Lockhart better than the inventor of the character herself... Basically, I don't own Harry Potter or the universe. I also still have no beta, especially since it's November. And I'm still incredibly American. Sorry.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Amy entered the Great Hall… alone. Well, not really. There was a healthy crowd of other students present for the Dueling Club about to take place, but while she knew many of the people present, the few that had become her close friends weren't there. Lynne hadn't wanted to come, for the same reason her fellow transfers hadn't; Lockhart.

Amelia herself just wanted to learn something new.

Judging by the chatter of the crowd, no one else had known that Lockhart would be teaching the Dueling Club. Amy frowned as she thought about that. It hadn't been on the flyer. So, perhaps, Jasper had found out another way?

Her thoughts were quickly scattered as Lockhart took the make-shift stage; two long tables stretched across the center of the Great Hall. There were several groans upon the reveal of the professor before he waved his hand in the air for silence.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" His voice rang out, and he smiled his snow-white smile that matched the ground outside as the snow fall had turned ferocious blizzard over the day.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works." He gave a little bow.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." His smile grew… somehow, as the Potions master took the opposite end of the stage, seeming to float onto it like a dark wraith. He looked very unhappy to be there, Amy noticed.

"He tells me he knows a tiny bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin." As he completed a full three-hundred-sixty degree turn, Amy noticed that he at least knew how to speak to a crowd, and scolded herself for the following thought; that was _all_ he knew how to do.

"Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry – you'll still have your Potions master when I'm done with him, never fear!" Gilderoy Lockhart said gleefully, giving a group of students directly in front of him a playful wink. Snape, however, looked as if he were ready to hex his fellow Hogwarts professor that very second.

They turned to face each other. They bowed. Almost. Professor Lockhart did, with a flourish of his hand, while Professor Snape merely dipped his head mechanically. At this point, the crowd of gathered students had gone completely silent as the two lifted their wands.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position." Professor Lockhart, wisely, didn't look at the crowd as he spoke to it, keeping his eyes on Professor Snape. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

Amy momentarily held her breath in anticipation as she watched. "One…" She saw Professor Snape's feet shift slightly. "Two…" Lockhart's voice sang confidently and suddenly Amy was very aware that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was in a massive amount of potential danger. "Three!"

Both of them swung their wands and pointed them at their opponent. Severus Snape won the race, however, with a cry of "Expelliarmus!" and a flash of scarlet that zipped out of his wand and slammed into Professor Lockhart's chest.

He flew backward, wand out of his hand and arching into the air to be caught by someone to Amy's right. It took him a moment to stand and regain his sense of balance before sauntering back on to the platform. "Well, there you have it! That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I've lost my wand."

He paused as a girl pushed her way to the front of the crowd and passed him the very object he'd been speaking of. "Ah, thank you, Ms. Brown. Yes, and excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy, however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"

He trailed off, eyeing the professor opposite of him for a mere second before he changed course as if frightened. "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me?"

Amy waited patiently for one of either of the professors to pair her with someone. It was evident that Professor Snape had another destination set on his mind, looking firmly into the crowd and moving with great determination in his step.

That was when she heard it.

"Ross!"

She flipped her head around, confused by the call, to find none other than Draco Malfoy standing across from her.

"What do you say, Ross? Care for a friendly challenge?" Draco asked, sneering at the last few words. She tightened her jaw, forcing the fear out of her eyes. "It'll be fun." He added quietly, grinning.

"Grand idea, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Lockhart was there now. "You and, er… What was your name?" He asked.

She resisted the urge to sigh. "Amelia Ross."

"Yes, of course. You and Ms. Ross can be partners." Lockhart said, sounding distracted now before walking away.

"Do you have anyone yet, Malfoy?" Asked a Slytherin old enough to be from the next year up, just then standing next to the young Malfoy.

"Yes." Draco said with a nod, and glanced to make sure the professors were out of hearing range. "I'm taking the _mudblood_."

The student looked to Amy as she stiffened at the insult, and his friendly smile turned devious. "All right then."

Draco stood a respectful distance away for the beginning of a duel, holding aloft his wand.

Amelia, seeing no way out, did the same.

"Face your partners! And bow!" Lockhart said, flashing his winning smile as he seemed to be quickly regaining the hot air that Snape had knocked out of him during their mock duel.

Malfoy bowed, and Amy returned the gesture respectfully. "Wands at the ready!" Lockhart was still directing. "When I count to three, cast your charms to Disarm your opponent – _only_ to disarm them – we don't want any accidents." Draco grinned maliciously, and Amy found herself knowing with sudden clarity that he would not be listening to the rules.

"One…" Amelia kept her eye on him, focused and ready for any attack. At any time.

"Two…" She saw Malfoy flick his wand and heard him whisper sneakily " _Confundo_."

Just as Lockhart was saying "Three!" She quickly raised her wand. " _Protego_!"

The spell bounced off the sudden shield around her. Amy's eyes were wide. He hadn't even waited for the count to finish!

He sent a Bat-Bogey hex her way, and she deflected that as well, her nerves causing her voice to shake slightly when casting the Shield Charm. He took it as fear.

"Aw, is the little Hufflepuff scared? Ready to give up? Come on. Fight back." He snarled. "That'll at least make it fair."

Amy didn't fail to notice how most of the students in their immediate vicinity stopped what they were doing to watch.

" _Mutatio Skullus_!" Malfoy flung the Jinx at her.

Amy deflected it, the meaning of the spell running through her mind, she was grateful for the ability to block; she didn't fancy the idea of having more than one head.

" _I said disarm only_!" Lockhart was shouting, distracted by something at the other end of the Hall and making his way that direction. Away from Amy.

"Come _on_ , I didn't know muggleborns were so daft!" He was getting irritated now.

" _Expelliarmus_!" She shouted in quickly before he could even finish his words.

Malfoy barely had time to widen his eyes before he was flying backward. He slid across the floor upon impact. In a rage, he jumped to his feet, amazingly still holding his wand. She must have cast the spell wrong.

Amy's eyes were wide as she saw him open his mouth to send probably a very nasty jinx her way. So she did the first thing that came to mind. " _Steleus_."

Instead of words, Draco began to violently sneeze. Once. Then twice. Then a third time. Over and over. Amy stared, her wand up for a moment, before she came to her senses. " _Relashio_." At the flash from her wand, Malfoy suddenly dropped his. " _Locomotor_." It rose into the air. Draco, still sneezing, reached for it. She tugged it away from him with a twitch of her wand.

It went flying across the Great Hall.

She hadn't meant to fling his wand that far, and her surprise caused her to release the spell. The wood clicked loudly as it fell hard against the ground, but she couldn't see where it landed, as there was a crowd of students in the way.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Draco, the sneezing finally beginning to fade, curled his upper lip into a sneer as he turned from the students staring just in time to interrupt her. "Bring it – _achoo_ – back!"

Amelia stared at him, unsure of what to do. Malfoy was turning beet red with both embarrassment at being disarmed, and in anger. A part of her wanted to fetch it for him. The other part, that part of her tired of being bullied, was what took hold, and her jaw locked as her face hardened. "No."

His breathing was heavy as he glared at her, just before turning sharply to walk across the hall.

She let out a sigh of relief, just as Professor Snape shouted a spell into the air, " _Finite Incantatem_ ", which stopped most of the chaos present in the Great Hall.

The duels were over. She really shouldn't have come. It would have been better if she hadn't. What else could she have expected from this? Really? With all of the tension in the Slytherin house _without_ her trying to participate in extra events.

" _Flipendo_!"

The word catching her ear, she lifted her wand in a flash, thinking of the spell, but unable to say it fast enough. The shield came up in spite of her lack of verbal summons, and the spell bounced away.

" _Anteoculatia_! _Densaugeo_!" The hexes came at her faster than lightning, the voice, now obviously Malfoy, getting louder and angrier as he approached and was unable to get a hit in.

 _Petrificus Totalus!_ Suddenly the spell launched from Amelia's wand and slammed into Malfoy as he was taking a breath for another jinx. Instantly he froze – arms snapping to his sides and heels clicking together – his forward motion causing him to fall flat on his face.

Now the Great Hall was, indeed, silent. Amy was breathing hard, heart racing, wand still lifted in the air and pointed at Draco's still form. Her eyes were wide, and she was considerably paler than before.

Professor Snape had stilled at the sight of nonverbal spells used by a second-year student, but now launched into action, going to Draco first, making sure he was relatively uninjured.

"Well done, Miss, uh… what was your name again?" Professor Lockhart asked, suddenly appearing in front of her.

She couldn't bring herself to look away from Draco, even when his form was blocked from her view by Snape's dark robes. "Ross."

"Ross! Of course." He paused. "Ms. Ross, you can lower your wand now. The duel is over! And you won. Good show, my dear."

But it already had been before. The duel had been over the moment Amy had disarmed Draco, but he hadn't followed the rules. What if the rules weren't followed now? But Lockhart, as much as she disagreed, was still a professor. So she lowered her wand shakily. The teacher was grinning, showing off his perfect teeth. She felt the overwhelming urge to smack him, and inwardly scolded herself for such thoughts. Again.

And then she realized he was still talking.

"—Excellent dueling form. Though I have a few pointers on how you could better improve your footwork. Perhaps you should see me after class next—"

"Professor Lockhart, I think she should take a break."

The voice that interrupted was new. She'd only heard it a few times before in classes. And she'd heard about him. Everyone had heard about him. And standing next to her now, gently pulling her away from the arrogant professor, was Harry Potter.

"A break! Yes, of course. Good idea, Mr. Potter! Using that brain of yours."

Amy didn't catch the rest, as Harry Potter turned to her, and looked into her eyes with his own green ones. "Are you alright?" He asked. "You're shaking a bit."

"He just… he came back." Amy whispered.

Harry looked at her through his large, round glasses, with a concerned expression. Apparently Professor Lockhart announced a break for the entire room, as students were chatting animatedly around them. And two approached easily.

"Is everything all right?" Asked a large-haired girl, her brown eyes looking over Harry, and then Amy, as if checking for injuries.

"I'm not sure." Harry admitted, and turned back to Amelia. "You said your name was Ross?"

"Amy."

"Well, Amy, are you hurt? Did any of the jinxes hit you?" Harry asked.

She looked past him to where Professor Snape was lifting Draco off of the ground with some sort of floating charm, and carrying him to the door. Amy knew she'd only hit him with a Full Body-Bind Curse, but was still concerned that she'd accidently thrown something else.

"Amy?" The girl asked, suddenly directly next to Harry, and eyeing her worriedly.

"I'm okay." She supplied.

"What happened?" the ginger boy asked. Amelia tried to remember his name. She'd heard it before. Ron. Ronald Weasley.

"She was dueling Draco." Harry said.

"I saw his wand fly over my head." The girl, Hermione, said softly.

"Yeah, well apparently disarming him wasn't enough."

"I just made him mad." Amy said softly.

The three heads turned back to her. "What?" Ron asked eloquently.

Amelia shrugged. "He already hates me. I just made him angry."

"That's no reason to break the rules." Hermione said.

"In his eyes, I broke them first." Amy replied, her voice finally getting stronger. "I'm muggleborn."

Sudden clarity appeared in Hermione's eyes, while Ron looked enraged, and Harry scowled in the general direction of where Snape took Malfoy away.

"You being muggleborn is breaking a rule?" Ron asked testily.

"Slytherin didn't want muggleborns to go to Hogwarts. His house only accepts Pure and Half." Amy supplied, easily telling the lie she'd believed until just that year. "I'm not on that list."

"Well, that's stupid." Ron said.

"I agree." Harry was still scowling.

"So do I, but it does make sense from their point of view." Hermione shook her head sadly.

"But really, are you all right?" Harry asked, his face softening.

Amy smiled. "I think I will be. Thanks for getting rid of Lockhart."

Harry smirked. "Any time."

She held out her hand. "Proper introduction. I'm Amelia Ross. But you can call me Amy."

He took it. "Hello, Amy. I'm Harry Potter. You can call me Harry."

Amy then did the same with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"Thank you again for your help." Amelia told Harry.

"You're welcome. Just let me know if he causes any trouble in the future. We're in the same class, most days, right?" He asked. When she nodded, he smiled. "Then I'll see you in class."

It was almost perfectly timed, however, because Lockhart once again, in that very moment, took the made-up stage and announced that he needed to teach how to block unfriendly spells, "just as Ms. Ross demonstrated excellently for us moments ago."

Amy, however, felt incredibly sick as the adrenaline seeped out of her body. She noticed Harry hadn't moved far, and tugged on his robe sleeve. He turned to her curiously, peeking through his mess of dark hair. "I think I'm going to be done for the day. Head back to my common room. If you actually learn anything, let me know?" She asked.

He smiled kindly at her, and then laughed a little at her jibe at Professor Lockhart's teaching. "Sure. See you tomorrow."

She left the Great Hall without another word to anyone, and went straight to the Slytherin common room. Amy's limbs were heavy as she descended into the dungeon, not looking up as she passed other students, and only mumbling the password. Luckily, the wall heard her and split apart.

The Hufflyn didn't spare the common room itself more than a glance, trudging straight to her dorm room.

She opened the door, entered, and dropped her weight onto her bed with a quiet huff.

"Amy? You're back early!" Lynne's voice met Amelia's ears.

She breathed in the smell of her bedsheets, as her face was still planted in them, and said nothing.

Lynne stood, and approached. "Amy?"

Nothing.

She sat on the edge of her friend's bed. "Are you all right?"

"I'm never leaving this bed again." Amy muttered.

Lynne was barely able to make it out, but managed well enough to understand. "Why not?"

Amy turned her head and looked up at her friend. Lynne's dark hair was loose around her shoulders, and free of hair clips. Slowly, she told Lynne what happened at Dueling Club.

She told her about Draco Malfoy seeking her out. She told her about the duel. She told her about how it continued even after it had ended. She told her about Lockhart and Harry Potter. And how she felt really sick.

"I can't believe I did that to him!" Amy whispered in horror. "You should have seen him fall. Just… _bam_ , right on his face."

Lynne smiled slightly at the image her imagination conjured, but shook her head to rid herself of it and focus on Amy. "You were just trying to end the fight."

"Yes, but—"

"He started it, Amelia." Lynne interrupted firmly. "Not you."

The blonde looked away, and rolled over onto her side, placing her head on her hand to prop it up. "I just… I feel so guilty." She admitted.

Lynne patted the girl's arm gently. "He'll be fine. You'll see. He'll show up tomorrow and be ready to throw more hexes at you, if it would make you feel better."

Amy wrinkled her nose. "Maybe I don't feel _that_ bad."

Lynne snickered, and laid back on the bed so Amy and Lynne were both lying on it, their legs dangling off of the edge. Amy rolled fully onto her back, and they stared at the top of the bed, where the curtains were hooked to the frame above them.

They were silent for a long while. Neither saying anything. Just thinking of nothing in particular. Allowing their minds to wander as young minds tended to do. Then again, so do old minds. It's the in-between section of life where the brain stays rooted, and only because it's weighted down by the chaos and the everyday demands of living in a world pushing to be productive.

"Are you staying for Christmas?" Amy asked softly.

Lynne shifted slightly. "No. Are you?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me before? I could have talked to my parents into letting me stay." Lynne asked, sounding slightly betrayed.

"I didn't think about it." Amy admitted. "And with Christmas just around the corner…" She shrugged. "What do you want to get?"

Lynne was silent for a long moment, and Amy didn't have to look at her to know that she was thinking. "Oh, I don't know. Something to remind me of our friendship? I'm assuming you're asking because you want to get me something?" Lynne asked.

Amy smiled slightly. "You saw right through me."

"It's not that difficult sometimes. What do you want me to get you?" Lynne asked.

Amy paused. And apparently it was a long time because she felt Lynne moved her head to look at her before she responded. "Come back?"

Lynne hesitated, before giggling. "Why wouldn't I? This is my education; I don't really have a choice."

When Amy didn't say anything in response, Lynne lifted herself off of the bed so she could meet Amy's eyes. There she saw worry, and realized quite suddenly how very shaken her friend was from the night's events. "Oh, Amy… Of _course_ I'll come back."

Amelia Ross smiled. "Good. I would hate to be here without you."

They'd gotten close. It had taken the last few months for the relationship to develop, but they had grown closer. They were friends now. Amy wasn't just some Hufflepuff that had gotten thrown into Slytherin and stuffed into Lynne's dorm. She was someone Lynne looked forward to talking to.

It was nice, to have a friend like that.

Their conversation was interrupted when the door was opened and the other two girls that they shared the room with entered, chatting all the while and paying them little attention. And they all slept soundly that night.

* * *

A/N: I'm so happy I got that out of my system...

Okay, something I've learned, and only on the seventh day of NaNoWriMo: being held accountable for posting chapters like this as I write them is holding me to my goal. I'm actually ahead of my schedule. Three days ahead. I'm never ahead. I am a procrastinator to the max. But that's sort of irrelevant.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** HERE'S MORE OF THE STORY! (also, I'm taking the all-caps thing as you being excited, and really happy, because that's when I write in all caps) I HOPE YOU LIKED IT, AND I'LL BE BACK WITH MORE SOON! (and it's almost as if we're having a conversation that's taking place over a period of several days... I love technology)

Catch you later!


	14. Ribbon Match

A/N: I dedicate this chapter in loving memory, to my Gramma, who always supported me and my stories with boundless enthusiasm and encouragement. Thank you for never once doubting me, and constantly keeping me moving forward.

This day, November 9th of 2017, marks the one-year anniversary of my grandmother's death. Around this same time, simply days before this event, she'd asked me the same question, once a day for a week, "Have you written today?", because she knew how important it was to me. And it was only because of that encouragement that I was able to push through everything last year and complete my goal. So this is for her.

Disclaimer: I'm not American, I have no beta, and I don't own Harry Potter. Those are the big points. The rest has already been said enough, so you should know the drill by now.

This chapter is my longest yet, so I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Amelia took a deep breath, tying her hair back out of her face by bunching her blonde curls down at the nape of her neck. She straightened her green and black robe, and brushed her Hufflepuff patch affectionately. Today was probably going to be long. Guaranteed by lunch time everyone would have heard about Amy and Draco's duel.

It shouldn't be that big of a deal; they were only second-years, after all. But then again, so was Harry Potter.

Amy's thoughts were interrupted when Lynne's shoulder brushed her own. Lynne was holding a periwinkle-colored ribbon. She held it out to her friend. "For good luck."

Amelia frowned curiously. "Sorry?"

Lynne sighed. "This is my lucky ribbon. It's normally tied to my lucky hair pin, but I'm giving it to you for the day. Hold out your wrist."

When Amy did as directed, Lynne tied it comfortably around her thin wrist. Not so tightly that it was cutting off blood circulation, but not so loosely that Amy would lose it by accident. She then double-knotted it. Just to make sure.

Amy gave her brunette friend a shaky smile. "Thank you."

Lynne shrugged. "You'll need it more than me, today."

The other girls in their dorm were only just then beginning to stir from their sleep. Lynne had woken Amy up early with the idea in mind that they would arrive in the Great Hall before the larger groups of students, just to get comfortable. Lynne seemed to think that the duel from the night before was worthy of student gossip to the point that it could become claustrophobic to walk places when everyone else did.

Amy was inclined to follow her lead, even if she was wrong.

They were walking down one of the corridors when she heard it.

"Amy!"

The blonde's head snapped up from where she'd been looking at the ground at the sound of such a panicked shout. A ginger was running toward her, yellow robes billowing behind with a green patch on his chest. Jasper slid to a stop in front of her. "Amy, are you all right?" He asked, in between large heaves of breath.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Dueling… club." He swallowed. "Heard about…. the dueling club." He took a moment to regain his breath. "You went against Malfoy, and he was in the hospital wing last night, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you? Are you hurt? Did he hurt you? If he did, I'll—"

"Draco was in the hospital wing?" She paled considerably.

"Yeah, something about a spell needing to wear off. What hex did you hit him with?" Jasper asked.

"I… A few." She admitted carefully.

Jasper's worried expression turned to a confused smile. "A few?" He glanced at Lynne as if expecting her to understand and provide explanation. The brunette simply shrugged her shoulders.

Amy shifted her weight. "Well, first was the sneezing hex. And then I disarmed him. And then he got mad, grabbed his wand, and kept firing at me, so I… um…"

Jasper frowned. "Ross, what did you hit him with?"

"The Full Body-Bind." She supplied quickly, looking away.

After a few seconds, she saw Jasper move out of the corner of her eye. When Amy looked back, she saw him slumped against the nearest wall, shaking his head. He looked almost exasperated.

"You know how to perform a body-bind curse?" The question was filled with surprise.

She shrugged. "The basic theory is the same as a lot of other spells. I just… figured it out."

"You figured it out." He repeated dryly. "Of course you did."

"Intent and understanding." Amy told him. "The basis of any spell is intent and understanding."

"Who told you that?"

"Not Lockhart." She said firmly.

He chuckled a little, and then it turned into a laugh. At that moment, both Lynne and Amy realized they had never actually heard him laugh before. But now he was laughing. And laughing. And laughing. So they joined in. And they were just laughing in the hall, getting weird looks from students passing and paintings on the walls. And, for the first time in weeks, Amy felt better.

"So, you really are okay?" Jasper double checked.

Amy smiled at his concern. "I really am okay."

He took a breath. "Brilliant. I'm starved. Breakfast?" Jasper asked the both of them

"We were headed that way." Lynne said.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure."

Ultimately, Jasper had decided to sit with Amy for breakfast, wishing for a more in-depth telling of the events the previous night. Amy tried to oblige, but didn't feel like talking all that much. Something felt wrong to her about explaining it.

Elisabeth and Maxwell, when they came, came fast. Both not even bothering to allow Amy to turn in her seat before flooding her with question after question until she put up one hand and interrupted them. "Sit down before you make a scene, and I'll answer."

Both older teens traded looks before slowly sinking onto the bench around the table.

Amelia sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. No, I'm not hurt. Yes, I did what you taught me, Elisa. No, Draco was not in the hospital wing because I injured him, Max. Stop looking happy at the idea. They were waiting for the spell to fade." She answered their questions at once.

"What spell?" Elisabeth asked.

"Petrificus Totalus." Amy recited.

The older girl looked shocked. "You know that curse?"

"What did you tell me, Elisa? Intent and understanding is everything." Amelia supplied.

"But… a body-bind curse? A _full_ body-bind curse? And it was _successful_?" Elisa practically shrieked.

Jasper, Amy, and Max all shushed her.

Once she calmed down, Amy took a deep breath. "I panicked. I didn't mean for it to go that far."

There was a long pause in the conversation. "How far did it go?" Max was the one to ask.

"She disarmed him. He went and picked up his wand and attacked her again, if I'm understanding correctly." Jasper supplied.

Max looked furious. "If Slytherin doesn't get points taken off—"

"It's because Lockhart was in charge." Elisa expertly slid in before the Gryffinclaw could finish his threat.

"That good for nothing—"

"Max!" Amy scolded. "He's still a professor."

"A lousy one, but he still is one." Jasper agreed.

"Though I have no idea how." Elisa said softly.

"That would be my doing."

They all froze at the sound of the voice as it seemed to creek with age, and slowly turned their heads in its direction.

Professor Dumbledore stood behind them, smiling slightly, the expression moving his large white beard. His robes were as colorful as ever, a bright red that day, which easily matched his hat of the same shade. He had his hands folded together in front of him as he looked at the small group over his half-moon spectacles.

"I-I'm sorry, Professor. I just…" Elisa was at a loss of words.

"Not to worry, my dear." He leaned in closer, and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'm very aware of his… intellectual capacity. Or lack thereof."

Amy smiled. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore."

He turned to her, straightening, and smiled. "Hello, Ms. Ross. I haven't had a chance to personally thank you for the lovely socks you sent me last Christmas. The owl pattern was lovely."

She shook her head. "It's no bother. Just a thank you gift for allowing me to come to this school."

His smile stayed, still very kind, but softened slightly. "Well, I'm honored to have such a bright young student attending." He paused. "But I came over here to attend to some business. Ms. Ross, would you please see your Head of House after supper this evening?"

Amy paled slightly. "Which one, sir?"

"Hm?" the Headmaster looked momentarily confused before his face cleared. "Oh! Professor Snape, if you would. He was present during the Dueling Club session, correct?"

Her face grew a shade paler before she nodded her head.

The old wizard leaned down to be closer once more. "Ms. Ross, I don't wish to scare you. This isn't a meeting to give you any disciplinary action, I just wish to discuss with you the events of last night. Professor Snape just knows the password to my office, and the topic won't be a surprise to him."

She again nodded her head. "I understand, sir."

"Good. I will see you then." He patted her shoulder before straightening and walking toward the Head table. Everyone was quiet for about three seconds, watching the old professor make his way toward the raised seating. Then Jasper, Elisa, and Max all turned to Amelia.

She was breathing heavily, as if panicked. Elisa reached over and gripped the blonde's hand tightly in her own. The contact was reassuring, and soon Amy began to calm down.

"If you don't want to answer, you don't have to." Elisa said carefully. "But do you have any idea why Professor Dumbledore would want to meet with you about yesterday?"

She shook her head. "No. There's nothing. Not… I mean… Maybe that I know those spells? You all seemed rather surprised."

"Nothing else?" Jasper asked.

"Maybe he wants you to say what happened, so he can get Malfoy into trouble." Max guessed.

Amy glared half-heartedly at him, feeling tired already. "Stop that."

"What? I just want him to get what's coming." He said.

"No, you want revenge. No one is hurt, with the exception of pride." Amy said. "And remember that Slytherins are proud. It will just take him a while to get over it."

"Yeah, a long while." Max agreed. "If he does at all. I think it's a bit of wishful thinking on your part that he will ever. I mean… You won the duel. Twice." His smile was wide, and contagious as he eyed the rest of the Slytherin table smugly.

Amy followed his gaze, and sighed as she realized that people were staring. And when she looked all the way around her, she realized practically everyone was. And then she caught sight of a rather relieved-looking Harry Potter, just entering the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione at his shoulders. He was probably happy the attention was off of him for the night. She smiled slightly. At least someone was affected positively in this.

The day went on relatively normal. With the exception of quiet whispers as she passed by. And some not-so-quiet. A blizzard had totally covered Hogwarts, muffling the outside world with a pillow of white more than a meter and a half thick, so the final outdoor class of herbology was canceled for the day, allowing everyone to have more free time.

Amy only made eye contact with Draco Malfoy a single time that day. Instead of a venomous glare or prideful sneer, as she'd expected, something different happened entirely. The stared at each other for a short second before Draco looked away to cast a thoughtful and bitter scowl at the desk where he was seated. It was so odd.

He didn't say a word to her. The thought crossed her mind to apologize, but Amelia ultimately decided to wait a few days and allow things to cool off first.

The closer it got to supper, the more nervous Amy felt.

Every time she thought about the awaiting encounter with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, she felt a spike of fear. Amy started pulling at the periwinkle ribbon tied to her wrist as a nervous tick. Lynne took notice, and each time she saw the blonde tugging at the silky strand, she would smile at Amy in an attempt to comfort her.

It worked most of the time.

* * *

Amelia exited the Great Hall after the last meal of the day, looking around for Professor Snape, wondering if when he left he had gone straight back to his office. For a moment, her heart fell at the idea she would have to go on a hunt for the Potions master when she heard his voice.

"Ms. Ross, I presume you're ready to see the Headmaster?" His cool voice seemed… less cold than usual.

She pushed the observation aside. "Yes, sir."

He stared at her for a moment with his dark eyes before nodding sharply. "Follow me."

She did as directed, and they began to walk. But, after a moment, she felt the urge to strike up a conversation. "So, I never got the chance to ask; what made you want to become a potions professor?"

He stared hard at her, as if trying to get a read of any negative intention. Apparently not finding any, he kept a skeptical eye on her as he answered. "I didn't. I originally applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

"Oh… what happened?"

"The Headmaster thought the position… unfit."

Amy nodded her head. "Well, I'm glad he didn't give it to you."

Snape hesitated in his steps, and looked suddenly angry.

She stopped him from speaking by speaking first. "I hope you don't misunderstand, Professor. I wish you could get a job you really enjoy, but I think that you make a phenomenal teacher when it comes to potions. I've noticed that you can write recipes straight onto the board without even consulting a textbook!" Amy's words were quick, as if she wanted to get all of the words out before Snape could say anything in response.

"I also know about the rumored curse on the position you were trying to get. Elisa told me, and explained that the trend for the last twenty years shows that it's plausible. And I like having you as a teacher – even if you're hard on us, and even if I don't always agree with how you teach – because you _teach_ us. So I don't want you to die, or leave." She bit her lip, cutting off the flow of words.

Severus Snape looked as if he'd just been slapped. He stared in shock now, his face blank of any other emotion. And after a long silence like this, he simply began walking again. Amy resisted the urge to giggle, and followed; she'd driven him speechless, it seemed. Better than driving him to give her detention, she thought.

At the end of the hall, they came across a gargoyle, standing tall against the wall.

"Pumpkin Pasties." Professor Snape drawled, sounding specifically miserable. And again Amy had to suppress the urge to giggle, the sound and words so comical.

But the gargoyle moved, and a set of steps appeared behind the split wall, exactly as it had upon her arrival at the beginning of September. Professor Snape stepped onto them while they were still moving, and Amy quickly followed, a few steps after. She was reminded of the escalators at malls as the stairs moved in spiral around the pole and lifted them higher.

When they stopped, Amelia followed Professor Snape up the rest of the flight and to the large door at the end. The professor knocked firmly.

"Enter," Amy heard Dumbledore call, and Snape opened the door and walked in.

Amy had been in there before, but had been so excited she hadn't actually looked at anything. But she did now as they entered, her eyes taking in the bobbles and tiny pieces of what could only be inventions scattered over tables and shelves. The surfaces not covered in those little trinkets were holding piles of parchment and books, some open, so with their old, aging spines pointed out. But Amy didn't get the chance to read any of the titles as her attention was drawn to the bright bird sitting just behind what could only be the Headmaster's desk.

Its bright crimson, orange, and yellow feathers were majestically groomed to almost make the bird glow, but Amy recognized that it was near the end of its life. While the bird was bright, it was considerably dulled compared to the images of phoenixes that she'd seen images of in her Magical Creatures textbook from the year before.

It was horrible to see such a magnificent creature in such a sad state.

"I see you're appreciating Fawkes. I only wish you could see him on a better day." Dumbledore said, making his presence known. Amy hadn't even seen him also sitting behind his desk, as she'd been too distracted by the bird.

"He's still very… regal." Amy said softly.

The old wizard chuckled. "Regal is definitely a word capable of describing a phoenix." He stood from his comfortable-looking chair and walked around his desk so they all stood on the same side. "Please, sit." This time, instead of transfiguring seats of any kind, he gestured to the sofa behind her, near a fireplace that was crackling merrily.

Amy followed the instruction and tried to relax onto the soft upholstery while the Headmaster sat across from her in one of the arm chairs. Professor Snape, however, summoned a chair, before sitting. This alone told Amy that the conversation he was preparing for had the potential to be long. And as he knew what they were discussing, Amy took his lead.

"Did I ever tell you what it was we were going to discuss?" Dumbledore questioned.

Amelia hesitated. "You mentioned the Dueling Club."

The Headmaster nodded. "Then you have a general idea. That's good. My questions won't seem so random then." He offered her a small smile. "Could you go through the events, please?"

"You… want me to tell you what happened?" Amelia asked.

"In as much detail as possible, yes." The old wizard confirmed seriously.

Dumbledore saw the young girl shrink in her seat slightly at his statement. It must have been a rather negative experience for her, then.

"Well, first Draco chose me for his dueling partner."

"Do you know why that is?" He asked.

Amelia shrugged. "He doesn't like me much. I assume he wanted an excuse to hex me." When quiet met her answer, she continued. "Then we were dueling. We did the beginning as instructed, and then as soon as I turned around, Draco was throwing a jinx at me. So I blocked it."

"You blocked it?"

"Yes, sir." Amy nodded.

"With what defensive spell?"

"Protego." She answered.

"That's advanced for a second-year student, isn't it, Professor Snape?"

"We actually managed to cover that spell just after the first round of dueling, though I wouldn't say it was a very thorough lesson." Snape replied, his annoyance with Lockhart showing in his tone.

Dumbledore gave him a knowing look. "Ah, I see. Do continue with your story, Ms. Ross."

She took a deep breath. "That happened a few times. He threw a jinx at me, and I blocked it. Then he, well…" She cleared her throat. "He insulted me, so I cast an Expelliarmus. He flew backward, and when he got up, he looked mad, so I cast a sneezing hex at him and made him drop his wand."

"How?" Dumbledore asked again.

"Relashio. And then he tried to pick it up, so I lifted it. Locomotor." She supplied the answer as soon as she saw Dumbledore's mouth open. "And I… well, I threw it. I didn't mean to. I just didn't realize the movements didn't have to be so large. I'd never successfully performed it before, you see. He told me to go get it, and I told him no. So he stomped off. I'd assumed the duel was over, since I disarmed him, but the next thing I know, he's flinging more jinxes at me."

And then she stopped, frowning hard at the floor. Dumbledore stayed silent, allowing the pause, knowing it was filled with thought. "I… I blocked them." She said softly.

"How?" Dumbledore asked once more.

She hesitated. "Protego."

"Is that the spell you spoke?" Dumbledore asked, sensing her confusion.

Amelia didn't lift her eyes, but her brow furrowed more. "That's the spell I used."

"But did you speak it?"

"I didn't have time." She whispered. And then said a little louder, "I didn't get the chance."

The Headmaster looked over to Severus, who had turned to him, and they traded a look of understanding. This had been what Severus had thought happened. But he didn't know for sure, so they were having it confirmed.

"I see. Continue, please."

Amy hesitated again. "Well… I wanted him to stop, so I remembered the body-bind curse I read about and tried it… and it worked." She suddenly looked at Severus. "Was he okay?"

Seeing the importance of her question, Snape answered honestly. "Mr. Malfoy is uninjured. In fact, the spell only takes an hour or so to fade."

She nodded. "I just… I didn't see him at breakfast." She said as the thought occurred to her.

"That was… his choice." The professor told her carefully.

"Ms. Ross, have you ever performed the either the body-bind or Protego before yesterday evening?" Dumbledore asked, directing the subject.

Amy bit the inside of her cheek. "I have Protego. But not the other."

Dumbledore took a moment to be impressed. "And have you, beyond your accidental magic, performed any nonverbal spells?"

She shifted her weight. "I used to mouth them." Seeing the men's looks of confusion, she elaborated. "I have to practice charms and transfiguration some time, and I had to be quiet, so I mouthed the spells instead of actually saying them. I figured the quieter you say the spell, the harder it is, and that was why it took me all of these weeks to finally be able to do it. Are you saying that mouthing the words doesn't count?"

"Normally verbal spells do require at least a whisper." Dumbledore supplied.

Amy buried her face in her hands. "Is this bad?"

"Is what bad, my dear?"

"Am I supposed to say the spells?" She asked carefully.

Dumbledore allowed the laugh that came to his throat to come out quietly. "Nonverbal spells are not negative, Ms. Ross. Simply highly advanced magic. Speaking the spells do indeed make them easier to perform."

Amy looked relieved. "I didn't know for sure; the wizarding world has so many taboos you can never be too careful."

"Could you provide an example of that?" Dumbledore was curious to know.

"Well, snakes." Amy said carefully. "My neighbor, at home, keeps snakes as pets. I think she has three. Snakes make muggles uncomfortable, but they're not normally hated creatures. But Elisa explained the taboo wizards have against them… you know, Parseltongue and what it's connected to and things of the like."

"Ms. Morgan keeps you well informed." Dumbledore remarked.

Amy smiled. "Whenever it's relevant."

The Headmaster returned the smile. "Well, Ms. Ross, I'm going to ask something of you, and I hope you don't take it the wrong way."

She frowned. "All right."

"Would you, please, perform a nonverbal spell for me?" Seeing her growing look of panic, he quickly added "This is not a test of any kind. If you cannot do it, then nothing happens."

"And if I can?"

He gave her a supportive grin. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Amy nodded her head. "What spell?"

Dumbledore looked to the other professor. "Severus, do you have any suggestions?"

The Potions master looked to Amy. "Wingardium Leviosa?"

Amelia pulled out her wand. "What on?"

"How about this?" Dumbledore pulled a candy from his robe sleeve, and set it on the ground in between them with a slight grunt. He was getting older.

Once Dumbledore was comfortably back in his seat, she hesitated. "Can I mouth it?"

"Whatever you would like." He replied.

She nodded, and eyed the candy. Dumbledore listened carefully for any sound other than the crackling of his fire. He saw the girl's lips move slightly, a tiny twitch and certainly not a fully formed word, and suddenly the candy was floating in front of them. Once it was at eye-level, Amelia caught Dumbledore's eye, and lost her focus. The spell evaporated, and Dumbledore caught the candy on its unforgiving fall back to the ground.

He smiled. "Thank you for the demonstration."

Amelia tipped her head. "So… we're crossing the bridge."

"Ah, yes. I would like you to take an extra class." He admitted. "Only one, and it would take place at the beginning of your free time every Thursday."

She thought for a moment. "Every Thursday?"

"Exactly so." Dumbledore nodded.

Amelia hesitated. "Who would be teaching this class?"

Dumbledore hesitated himself. "I'm not entirely sure as of yet."

"What would I be learning?"

"Nonverbal spells." Dumbledore supplied. "But I would like you to, whenever you are learning a new spell in class, practice it out loud until it's successful at least once. We don't want mistakes to occur due to misled intent." He suggested.

She nodded. "I understand, sir."

"Good." He stood. "Well then, Ms. Ross, I will see you tomorrow in the Great Hall. I hope you rest well. Severus will take you back to your common room now."

Amelia stood. "Thank you, sir."

He smiled. "You are most welcome, Ms. Ross. Thank you for speaking with me today. You cleared up quite a few things for me."

"Any time, professor."

Dumbledore watched her leave. Her bright head of blonde hair and happy personality preceded by the dark gloom of Severus Snape. His smile stayed, fonder now, as they disappeared from his sight. And he wondered, briefly, how it would turn out if he made Severus her tutor.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading this, and sticking with the story so far! I hope you're all doing well...

If you have any suggestions for a teacher for Amy, let me know... I haven't quite decided yet. So we'll figure it out when she figures it out, I suppose. But today has been a long one, so now I say goodnight.

Catch you later


	15. Unexpected Klatch

A/N: Holy Cranberry, it's a third of the way through November already. This is crazy. This writing may seem calm, but I am not. I'm just not. Calm, that is. Thank you all so much for reading this story, and for all of the feedback! I really do appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or I wouldn't ever have to think about how I'll be paying for school. I'm also American. And I have no beta, so any grammar and/or punctuation mistakes are mine, as well as any plotting errors... we're getting into deeper water here, as this part of the plot is already established.

Will things be changing from the original now? Of course. This is an AU.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

Read and, hopefully, enjoy!

* * *

They were walking back to the Slytherin common room when Professor Snape was stopped by Professor McGonagall. She muttered something to him, too quietly for Amy to catch more than one word. And that word wasn't important at all. Just a filler.

Professor Snape nodded his understanding and glowered at Amy. "I trust you can find your way back to the common room on your own?"

Amelia nodded; she knew the way.

"Then I'll leave you now. Do try and stay out of trouble." This last phrase was muttered in an exasperated tone that expressed a tiredness she often recalled her father having after she accidently lit a towel on fire with her magic. Before they knew what magic was.

Amy watched the two professors leave and head back in the direction from which she had just come before continuing on her travel.

A few moments later, she turned the corner to see Draco Malfoy walking on his own. She dove backward to hide from him, and frowned at her own instinctive action. She was a Hufflepuff. She shouldn't be scared of Draco Malfoy. He wasn't as bad as he seemed, and she knew it.

But he was mean to her.

 _Everyone is mean to someone at least once in their life_ , she argued with herself.

But he was mean to _her_.

She sighed deeply, and determinedly walked back around the corner before she could think more about it. But Draco was gone.

And then there were voices.

She couldn't make out any words, but they didn't sound friendly in tone, so she approached to try and figure out what was wrong.

Amelia poked her head around the next corner to see two tall boys standing in front of Draco, just as one shoved him forcefully backward and on to the floor.

Reacting without thinking, she jumped out into their view. "What are you doing?" she asked accusingly.

Three heads turned to look at her at once. One frightened, two surprised.

"Amy," One of them blinked at her. "We're just teaching him a lesson." He said nonchalantly.

That was when Amy caught sight of the color of their robes.

Yellow.

"A lesson in what exactly?" She asked.

"Karma." Mentioned the other in response.

Amy walked toward them until she was parallel with Draco's feet, and standing in front of the two students. "That's not a lesson you have the right to teach." She said.

"But, Amy… he's been bullying you all term. Surely you'd want to _help_ us, not _stop_ us." Said the first.

"Right, because the logical thing to do if someone is bullying a friend of yours is to go beat them up." She said sarcastically. "That will just keep the ball rolling."

"You hexed him loads of times at the Dueling Club." Argued the second.

"It was _Dueling_ Club." She emphasized. "We were _supposed_ to be."

"Yeah, but—"

"I appreciate your concern, and your want to take action, but this isn't how we handle things." Amy interrupted. "We're Hufflepuff. We're supposed to be _just_ , remember?" She looked down at Draco and held her hand out to him.

The likeliness of him simply smacking it out of his way and standing up on his own was high. So she was surprised when, after staring at her for a long second, he took her hand and allowed her to help him to his feet.

She gave the pair of older Hufflepuffs a hard stare. "As this was misguided by you wanting to help me, and no one was hurt, I think we can all let this go and pretend it never happened. But it will _not_ be happening again." She stated it as fact, and got two shameful nods, and a blank stare. She then gripped Draco by his elbow and pulled him around the two other students. "Now, if you will excuse us, we need to get back to the common room."

They walked like that, Amy leading Draco, until they turned into the next hall, leaving the two Hufflepuff boys behind. Then she released him without prompting and began walking away.

" _Wait_!"

She stopped in surprise and turned to him.

"Why would you do that?" Draco asked, none of the usual poison in his voice.

Amy looked at him for a second. Really looked at him. She saw the genuine confusion in his pale face, and the want to understand in his eyes for the first time she'd ever seen. "Why wouldn't I?" She asked instead of answering.

"They were from _your_ house. I thought Hufflepuffs were loyal." He snapped, though she saw it in that moment for what it was in that situation. A defense.

She smiled at him. "We are. To whom, though… that's always a question."

"What does _that_ mean?" He snarled.

Her smile fell from her face as she observed him seriously. "No one deserves to be bullied, Draco. Not even you."

He was obviously going to respond, but something in her answer must have caught him by surprise, because he didn't. Instead he frowned at her, befuddlement on his features.

She turned to leave, before suddenly remembering something she'd wanted to tell him but hadn't gotten the chance to. "Oh, I'm sorry for throwing your wand. I didn't have control over the spell, and it slipped from me." She told him honestly. "I hope you can forgive me someday."

And then she finished her walk back to the Slytherin common room, she was feeling the best she'd felt in weeks.

* * *

Amy entered the dorm with a smile on her face, and Lynne frowned at her. "Didn't you have that meeting with Professor Dumbledore just now?"

"Yup." Amelia responded, emphasizing the last letter with a loud pop before dropping herself giddily onto her mattress.

Lynne narrowed her eyes skeptically. "It went well, then?"

The blonde looked around to double check that the room was empty besides her and shifted her weight. "Not really. It didn't go badly, at least."

"What happened?"

"Apparently I can do non-verbal magic." Amy said slowly.

Lynne's eyes widened. "That's really hard."

"I know, but I've been accidentally practicing it for months now." She said. "I haven't been saying the spells when I've been practicing them. Just mouthing them. I thought it counted, but apparently it doesn't. And now I have an extra class to keep it in practice."

Lynne blinked once. Twice. "That's what the meeting was about?"

"I'm guessing so." Amy tipped her head. "They didn't say it was for anything else."

"So what made you so happy about that?" Lynne asked in confusion.

Amy frowned at her before understanding cleared her face. "Oh! No, it wasn't that, actually. I was on my way back, and Draco was getting into a fight with two Hufflepuff boys."

Lynne's eyes widened. "I've never pictured you as the type to be happy at someone else's misery."

Amy shook her head. "Sorry, I could have explained it better. Let me try again. The Hufflepuffs were there because Draco was bullying me, so I stopped it before anyone got hurt or detention and everyone is happy, and I got to apologize to Draco about his wand, and apparently I'm important enough to people that they'll try to stop someone that's bullying me by physically attacking them, no matter how wrong it is."

She took a breath. "Lynne, I've had a day full of stress and breaking up fights, and talking about taboos at meetings, and transfiguration, and then there's that business with Justin Fitch-Fletchley getting petrified and…" She exhaled, trailing off.

"And you're happy." Lynne smiled as she finished the sentence. "You look relieved."

"I think I am." Amy said. "Because I finally understand why my magic refused to cooperate when I was on my own. Elisa will be happy to have the riddle solved as well."

Lynne giggled. "It was probably driving her out of her mind."

"And it will have to until breakfast tomorrow." Amy said. "Because I'm not going anywhere else tonight. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Lynne seemed to hesitate. "Do you… can you show me non-verbal magic?"

Amy froze for a second. "Uh, sure."

Lynne kicked her feet excitedly as her friend pulled out her wand. The blonde lifted the tool so that the tip of it was pointing toward the ceiling, and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the spell she wished to cast.

The Slytherin watched in awe as, without Amy even twitching her lips, the tip of the wand began to glow with the magic of the spell Lumos.

Lynne grinned widely. "That's amazing!" She said excitedly.

Amy opened her eyes, and looked at the white light, saying nothing in response. But she whispered " _Nox_ ," and the light vanished.

"A valuable skill to have, for sure." Lynne was saying as Amy gazed at the object in her hand thoughtfully. "Being ahead of the class is great as well. It would free up your time quite a bit."

"But I won't be ahead of the class." Amy told her. "I'll just be able to do spells this way. I'll be learning the spells at the same pace as everyone else."

"But you'll be good at it." Lynne said.

"After I practice."

"Oh, for Morgana's sake, be excited!" Lynne told her, grabbing her friend's arm and shaking it lightly. "This is great!"

Amy allowed a smile to spread across her face. "Maybe you're right." She couldn't wait to tell Elisa that her classes have been paying off.

* * *

Sure enough, at breakfast, Amy found Elisa at the Gryffindor table and told her about her talk with the Headmaster of Hogwarts the night before.

Elisa slammed the palm of her hand onto the wooden table. "I _knew_ it was something!" She said. "You weren't actually saying the spells? That was all?"

Amy shrugged. "It looks that way."

"And you were always saying them when with a teacher or me, which is why we couldn't figure it out." Elisa frowned. "How did they figure it out?"

"Apparently I didn't actually say the incantation for the Shield Charm when I used it at the Dueling Club." Amy explained.

Elisa nodded slowly. "I see… I'm just really glad you figured it out."

"I know. Me, too." She agreed readily. "Any plans for the day?" Amy thought she might as well ask while she was over there.

Elisa sighed. "Making sure I have everything packed, mostly. The train leaves Monday." She looked almost sad about this. But before Amy could comment or ask about it further, there was suddenly a presence at her shoulder. Well… two presences.

"Elisa, we have a great idea for—"

"No." The Ravendor interrupted. "It's the end of term. You are _not_ pulling a prank this close to Christmas."

"But Elisa—" Amy finally looked and discovered that the Weasley twins were there, each looking both excited and then disappointed at her statement.

"If you are, it's without me." She told them firmly, and then glanced at Amy. "Not that I've ever helped them before."

"Of course you haven't." Amy agreed. "I never would have suggested otherwise." She winked, and Elisa smiled slightly.

The Hufflyn bid them farewell before going on with her day. There wasn't much to do, though, as it was a Saturday, and the blizzard made it difficult for the older students to go to Hogsmead. So instead they relaxed. It was nice.

Lynne suggested that they go out and play in the snow before lunch. Amy agreed readily, but they both had to go grab their winter robes and scarves and hats. Amy's were still bright yellow and black, as were Hufflepuff colors, so she wore them proudly even though they looked odd with the green of her robes. There was nothing specifically weird about the mix, only that it wasn't seen often at Hogwarts because the school was split in such a way.

Amy was ready to go before Lynne, who had managed to misplace her hat, so she went into the common room to wait that way Lynne wasn't feeling rushed with the blonde standing over her shoulder.

As Amelia stood there, wondering if she should go back and help Lynne find the missing hat, Amy was stopped by Vincent Crabbe. She froze, confused by the approach, and looked around to find Draco or Goyle. Neither were around.

He looked nervous, though Amy had no idea why. So she offered him a timid smile. "Hello, Vincent."

He looked down at his shoes. "I, er… I wanted to say…" Vincent cleared his throat nervously and glanced up at her. She tried to appear friendly, since by this point she saw it obviously wasn't a negative meeting.

"I'm sorry, Ross." He finally said carefully, twisting his fingers and interlocking them. "I pushed you in the hall, and it hurt you, and I really didn't mean it, but it happened and I'm sorry, I really am." He said quickly, as if worried she was going to stop him before he got the chance to finish what he was saying.

She couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. "Thank you very much for your apology, Vincent." She set brushed her fingers against his fidgeting hands, and he stilled them. "And I forgive you."

He looked up abruptly. "Y-you do?"

"Of course." She said. "I knew it was an accident."

Vincent stared at her in shock.

Amy smirked. "Was that all?"

"Well – uh, I mean…" He stuttered, fidgeting his fingers again.

She grew serious, and looked around. "Did Draco say you could talk to me?"

He frowned at her. "Since when do you think he controls what I do?"

"It's not that, it's just… a lot of people are scared of him and his family." She put in quickly. "I didn't want something over-dramatic to happen because you had the heart to come and apologize to me." Amy laughed bitterly. "Then _I_ would have to apologize."

Vincent tipped his head to the side. "You know… I don't know what's gotten into him. One minute, we're avoiding you, and the next he turns to me and says 'hey, I know you wanted to apologize to Ross about pushing her, and you should just do it'. And I was all 'now?' and he was like 'when else?' and I really don't know what to think."

Amy's mind drifted back to the night before, and she nodded her head slowly. "I think I know what caused it. Thank you, Vincent."

He smiled bashfully, looking as if she'd just told him the nicest thing he'd ever heard. "You're welcome."

"Can we be friends?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Vincent looked around at the empty area and nodded, taking the Hufflyn's hand and shaking it. His practically dwarfed hers in size.

She grinned widely. "I'm really glad." She saw Lynne entering the room from the hall of dorms, looking puzzled, but hat in hand. "Listen, I've got to get going, but maybe we can talk some other time?"

Vincent Crabbe slowly matched her smile. "Yeah. Yeah, sure."

When Lynne got closer, Amy linked arms with her and walked out of the common room. Lynne politely waited until they were in the corridor with the wall closed on itself – well out of Vincent's hearing range – before she flipped to Amelia in shock. "What was that? Are you okay?"

"What? Yes, I'm fine." Amy was still smiling. "I think I made a new friend."

Lynne stared, and Amy pulled her along next to her, determined to be outside for at least an hour before lunch.

Then the brunette stuffed her newly-found hat on her head and gave Amy an exasperated look. "You Hufflepuffs…"

Amy laughed.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Wow, that's beginning to seem monotonous, but I promise I mean it every time.

The plot is moving forward. I'm excited. I know this chapter is a bit short, but I felt like this was a good place to end it. And the last chapter was, basically, _extremely_ long compared to what I normally publish, so... those are my excuses.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **chisscientist:** I really appreciate it! I'm glad you think it's good. I was honestly worried about how it was going to be taken, because I not many people seem to like AUs with OCs as the main characters... Thank you so much for your review!

 **imasurvivor21:** HERE'S MORE! Also, I have done so now... I think. It's a part of this website I don't use often enough to be familiar with how it works.

Catch you later


	16. Friendly Catch

A/N: Guess who's posting another chapter finally? Sorry, folks, life hit me out of nowhere this last week and I found myself behind. I do have the next chapter written out as well as this one, so I'll be posting again tomorrow, if I can. Thank you for being patient with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Because this is where we get into the really alternate part of alternate universe. It's beginning to change the plot. Mwahaha. That was an evil laugh. Be terrified.

I would put a disclaimer, but you've either read it a million times by now, or skip it anyway... Because I tend to skip disclaimers when I read as well. Basically, I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm American, and I still don't have a beta. Thank you for your understanding.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

I hope you enjoy the latest installment of _Switch the Patch_.

* * *

"You did _not_!"

"Oh, come on, Lynne, it was just harmless fun!" Amy defended as the brunette began to steadily and deliberately press the sticky snow into an uneven, nearly-spherical shape.

Lynne brushed more of the loose snow from Amy's own snowball from her scarf, and lifted her ammunition to lob at the Hufflyn.

Amy squealed in both delight and terror as she tried to plow her way through what would have been hip-deep snow if it weren't so wet. As it was, she only sank to about her knees.

She would never make it to cover in time. So she waited until Lynne chucked it at her head and ducked, watching as the ball soared over her, exploding on impact with one of the castle walls.

"Stay still so I can hit you." Lynne told her.

"Of course, that's only fair." Amy grinned gleefully, bending her knees in preparation for another dash.

Lynne could tell that her friend meant not a single word of what she spoke, and scowled, trying not to smile herself. This led to an odd squint of her eyes and curious wrinkle of her nose as her face tried to make both expressions at once.

Amy laughed, just before Lynne took advantage of the girl's distraction and chucked another snowball at her. Amelia gasped as the white snow spread across the front of her robes as it broke into millions of particles upon connecting with its target. Lynne had such a good throw that Amy lost her balance and fell backward into the snow with that satisfying _crunch_ that all fresh snow makes.

Knowing how difficult it would be to get up, she just laid there.

"Amy?" Lynne called, worried and approaching.

Beginning to giggle endlessly, Amy started making a snow angel.

Lynne's face cracked into a smile as she threw herself down next to her friend and did the same. Their robes made the action sort of awkward, and their legs were practically frozen due to the snow and no real cover; their leggings were thin.

After a while, Amy stilled and just looked up at the crisp sky that was still an odd, pale grey because of the thick clouds billowing across it. Lynne quickly ran out of energy as well, and stopped moving. Amy heard her friend take a deep breath.

"I'm frozen." She giggled.

"Me too." Amy sighed contentedly.

"Thank you." Lynne mentioned.

Amy tried to lift her head before deciding that, with the mixture of thick blonde curls matted with melting snow and her hat, it was too much effort and dropped it back down to the ground. "For what?"

"For being my friend." Lynne said wistfully.

"Well… you're a very likable person, so it's hard not to be." Amy said, a smile in her voice that she hoped Lynne could hear. Apparently she did, because Amy heard her laugh a little under her breath.

"I think I'll miss you over Christmas." Lynne said next.

Amy grinned. "The feeling is mutual."

They stayed there like that for a moment before a cold breeze cut through them, chilling them to the bone. Amy struggled to sit up, and then stand. "Come on." Amy offered her friend a hand as help up.

Lynne took it gratefully and together they stood and began trudging back toward a door to the castle. It was nearly lunch time.

The walk back to the common room to get changed into dry clothes was a long one.

"My legs are practically frozen." Lynne muttered under her breath before misjudging a step and tripping. She gasped in surprise before harshly whispering a rather unladylike – and entirely muggle – curse.

Amy gasped, and covered her mouth.

Lynne's eyes widened. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Oh my goodness. It's all downhill from here." Amy pretended to be in distress. "Before you know it, you'll be expelled for bad behavior."

Lynne shook her head, trying not to laugh. "I don't think they expel you for something as minor as language."

"No, you misunderstand. It's just the first step."

"She's not wrong." A voice cackled.

Amy and Lynne both flinched, turning quickly to see the source of the voice. But there was no one there.

There was a sharp bark of laughter. " _Amelia Ross and her friend, Lynne Morr, couldn't find their way through an open door!_ "

"Peeves!" Lynne scolded, both girls finally spotting the poltergeist near the ceiling. The trouble maker was even worse than the Weasley twins. His small form was holding something up, though they had no idea what it was. "What are you doing?" She asked skeptically, taking a subconscious step backward.

"Do you want to see?" He asked, before abruptly dropping the object. It was a bucket of snow and the freezing water that occurred when it began to melt. It fell directly on Amy's head just as they heard footsteps thunder as two people appeared in the scene.

Amy lifted shaking arms to try and remove the bucket from her head, but her numb fingers refused to grip it correctly. She could hear Peeves's laughter, high and loud, through the cold that seemed to engulf her. He was being shouted at, for more than one reason it seemed.

"—and taking things that aren't yours!" Lynne helped Amy lift the bucket from her head in time to catch those words clearly and see who they were shouted by. It was Janna Sallow.

She was scowling at him harshly. "Honestly the nerve of you, you conniving—"

" _Janna Sallow, knowledge shallow_ —" Peeves sang loudly.

"And _you're_ nothing but a tricky wisp of smoke, you horrible—"

"Janna, stop it." James was there, too. "You're just feeding the fire."

She huffed, and turned to Amy, who was getting snow pulled from her hair by Lynne. "Allow me to apologize for this, even if that _bloody apparition_ is responsible!" She turned momentarily back to Peeves for that last part, glaring hard at him as he faded through the wall.

James sighed. "Hello again, Amy."

She offered him a shaking smile as her teeth chattered.

He approached her and took the bucket from her hands. "Why is it that whenever we run into you, you're always in some sort of trouble?"

"I'm n-not trying t-to hold on to that t-tradition." She told him, the stutter a result of her shivering.

"Well, you're shivering, which means you don't have hypothermia. Yet." Janna said, evidence in her voice that she was still irritated. "I'll go get a teacher to help clean this mess up. James, could you help them?"

"Yeah, sure." He agreed.

"Don't forget to check her hands." Janna said as she went back in the direction she entered from.

James took one of Amy's hands in his own, and the blonde felt like pulling away; his warm skin seemed to burn hers. "Your fingers are still pink, so that's good. Try to tuck them underneath your arms." He advised.

Amy followed his direction and he sighed. "This bucket of snow was Janna's, you know. Half melted for her own purpose, and Peeves ruined her experiment. That's why she's so bitter." He said, brushing off excess water that had pooled on Amy's shoulders.

"What was she testing?" Lynne asked.

James opened his mouth to respond before hesitating. "You know, I'm not sure." He looked at their shoes. "How about I walk you two back to your common room."

"You won't be able to come in." Lynne told him, needlessly.

"Yes, but I can make sure neither of you fall down the stairs on your way. Come on. The quicker you're in dry clothes, the better, Amy."

James left them at the entrance to the Slytherin common room, and Lynne's plan was to wait until she could no longer hear his footsteps on the stairs when a shiver went through Amy and she found herself frantically saying the password and the wall opening in front of her.

Upon their entrance, someone was in front of her. "Ross?"

Amy tipped her head up in between tremors. "H-hello, Vin…" She didn't finish his name, trailing off with another harsh shiver.

Vincent Crabbe was standing in front of her, along with Gregory Goyle. They were both about to leave the common room at the same time as Amelia and Lynne entered. "What happened?" asked Gregory, unable to help himself.

"Peeves." Lynne replied shortly, her anger evident in her tone. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Amy needs to get dry." She then pulled Amelia in the direction of the girl's dorm rooms.

The Hufflyn looked over her shoulder and waved her fingers in order to signify that there was no anger directed at them, and they were still parting ways as friends. Whether or not that message would be received through the twitch of her numb-with-cold hand, Amy didn't know.

But Vincent and Gregory both waved back.

* * *

It took Amy hours to get the chill out of her bones. In the end, it was a quick grab at the hot chocolate being offered near the Great Hall, and her and Lynne sitting on one of the plush sofas in the Slytherin common room with a large blanket wrapped around them. They talked about many things, none of them incredibly important. And the day went by peacefully.

As a matter of fact, the next few days went by peacefully. The only excitement was that most of the students were anxious to leave the school and return home. The students being petrified worried parents of all blood statuses. Well, except for the purebloods, though many were equally horrified by the situation at hand.

Sunday night, the four transfers sat at the Gryffindor table.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Elisa asked Amy.

"I thought Max was the one worrying over me like a mother hen." Amy said, just loudly enough for them to hear.

"It's a genuine concern." Max argued.

Jasper smirked. "She'll be fine."

"You say that now, but how do we know—"

"Elisa, I like to think that you're a smart person." Jasper interrupted her. "Do me a favor and take a breath. Think about what you were just about to say without the bias of knowing Ross personally."

If he had said that to anyone but Elisa, there would have been offense taken. But as it was, she simply hesitated, seeming to roll the idea over in her head for a short while, before sighing deeply, and resting her chin in her hand. "You're right."

"Thank you." He smiled at Amy. "Try to enjoy yourself."

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked with a pleasant expression. "Christmas at Hogwarts. I've never done it before. Perhaps there will be a feast."

"There normally is." Jasper said. "They have it at noon, if I remember correctly."

Amy grinned, imagining the Great Hall full of extra treats to eat. Even though she was already eating.

"And we'll be back before you know it, so try and stay out of trouble." Max told her.

She looked mildly offended. "Why does everyone keep telling me that?"

"It's because you've been in and out of trouble all term." Elisa supplied matter-of-factly.

Amy nodded, conceding the point after only a second of reflection.

* * *

The next morning came quickly, and soon the castle was emptying as students began the journey to return to their families. The Hogwarts train being their first stop.

Amy went to see her friends off, following Lynne on her way. And Rory, who joined them as he was leaving as well. Amelia hugged them all, and they all hugged her back – some more awkwardly than others.

Lynne squeezed especially tight. "I'll see you January third."

"You'd better." Amy confirmed with a smile, before waving her off.

As they left, the Hufflyn sighed. Even though the goodbye was only for a short while, she was going to miss them.

* * *

Jasper, Elisa, and Max all stood on the platform, each feeling a different feeling. Jasper, apprehension. Elisa, anxiousness. Max, excitement. The last of them could sense the more negative emotions coming from his friends. "Are you two going to be okay?"

"What? Of course." Jasper said quickly. "It's Christmas, and we're going home."

"I know that, but going home doesn't always make things suddenly all right." Max gave the other boy a pointed look.

Jasper shifted his weight, and turned to the girl standing in muggle clothes beside him. "What about you, Elisa?"

She was gnawing on her bottom lip when he asked this, looking incredibly absent of mind, and released a small humming noise that was neither a confirmation nor denial of his question.

The ginger turned to face her fully. "Are you all right?"

"What?" She finally had her attention on them. "Yeah, I'll be fine." She looked past him and her pale face grew a shade paler upon seeing something. "That's my mum."

The two boys turned the direction she was looking to find a woman that looked very little like Elisa. Her hair was all they could find similar. Though Jasper noted that the eyes were the same, too. But that was where similarities ended.

Jasper glanced over at Elisa, and found that the girl had straightened her shoulders and put a smile on her face, waving big to catch her parent's attention. The woman saw the student's waving arm, and approached quickly, also smiling.

Jasper moved out of the way and watched the two embrace silently, looking around them to meet Max's eyes. The Gryffinclaw gave a shrug.

"Oh, my darling." Elisa's mother held her at arm's length to look over her. "You've grown since I last saw you."

Elisa's smile was less forced, Jasper noted. "Yeah, but the robes still fit, so it's not a problem."

"You're growing up too fast." She exclaimed. "And who are your friends?"

Jasper suddenly realized that the woman was talking about Max and him.

"This is Max Johnson, and Jasper Wilf. They're transfers like me." Elisa explained, pointing to each of them in turn.

Jasper held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Morgan."

The woman took it easily. "Likewise. And you, too, Max. Elisa's written about both of you." She looked around, a thought occurring to her. "But I don't see your Hufflepuff friend."

"Amy's staying at the castle this Christmas." Max explained.

"Max!" The cry of absolute joy caught the group's attention, and they turned to find that the source was a child running at the full speed only to tackle the Gryffinclaw.

"Hello, Ruby." Max greeted the little girl before lifting her into his arms with a grunt. "You're nearly too big for me to pick you up. Did you grow?"

The girl nodded. "Mum says I get ice cream!"

Max frowned, feigning deep thought. "Because you grew?"

"No!" She exclaimed, giggling. "Because you're home." The little girl looked over his shoulder to the three other faces staring at them. "Hi."

"Oh, right." Max turned to face the group. "This is my little sister, Ruby. Ruby, this is Jasper, Elisa, and Elisa's mum."

Ruby grinned. "Nice to meet you."

They all smiled at her.

"Max, Mum's waiting for you by the barrier, and she says to hurry or we'll miss ice cream." Ruby said before anyone could say much of anything else.

"Okay, hold on." Max looked to Jasper and Elisa. "See you next year, I suppose. Merry Christmas! It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Morgan."

"The feeling is mutual, Max." Elisa's mother responded.

The brunet boy set down his sister, and grabbed her hand before nodding a final farewell and walking toward the barrier.

"If you and your mother need to leave as well, don't hold up because of me." Jasper insisted.

"That's very kind of you." Mrs. Morgan mentioned. "And I'm afraid, Elisa, that we have somewhere we need to be."

Elisa's head snapped around to her mother when the woman's voice broke in the last sentence and found that she was near tears. "Oh, Mum." She whimpered.

"It's not that time yet." Mrs. Morgan stated firmly. "But we should go."

Elisa turned to Jasper, and gave him a tight smile. "I'll see you after Christmas."

He gave her a worried expression, and she minutely shook her head. "I'll explain some other time, all right?"

The ginger looked between her and her teary-eyed mother before nodding his head wordlessly in agreement as he puzzled over what could possibly be wrong.

"Goodbye, Jasper." Mrs. Morgan said kindly. "I hope to meet you again."

"The feeling is mutual." Jasper replied airily, and watched as they left him standing alone on the platform. Alone with people milling about and reuniting happily with their families for the holidays.

Alone until a hand settled on his shoulder. He turned to find his father staring back at him with a smile on his face. "Hello, Jasper. How are things?"

Jasper looked back in the direction that his friends had just wandered in.

"I don't know."

* * *

"I think you should just go talk to her." Vincent Crabbe admitted cautiously.

Draco looked up from his novel. "Sorry?"

"I think you should go talk to Amelia Ross." Vincent repeated, clarifying his exact who so that Draco couldn't mistake it.

The blond snorted, and looked back at the pages. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"Why? The Mavis's are gone. In fact, nearly everyone in Slytherin has gone home for the holiday." Vincent told him.

"He's not wrong. If anyone who _is_ here says something, then you can manipulate the facts. You have enough influence." Gregory Goyle told him. "Honestly, it could be easier than you'd think."

"And this way you can figure out a way to repay her that debt." Vincent threw in.

"I don't owe her a single thing." Draco snapped.

Vincent simply lifted an eyebrow in reply.

Draco sighed, and closed his book. "I would have been fine without her interference."

"Oh, so you wouldn't have been pummeled by two Hufflepuffs if Ross hadn't cut in?" Vincent asked, obviously already aware of the answer.

"You know, it never would have happened at all if—"

"If we'd have been there. We know. We get it." Vincent crossed his arms. "We've been friends nearly all our lives, Malfoy. Even if it was originally some set up for our parents' convenience, I don't think it is that now."

Draco stared blankly at his assumed-body guard. "What's your point?"

"Not once have I ever seen you this worked up over something." He said.

Draco shifted in his seat. "I'm not worked up."

"I'm not stupid." Vincent replied.

"Debatable." Draco slid in easily, smirking.

Vincent smirked back. The banter between them was always oddly belittling, but neither ever took offense to it. It was mostly keeping up pretenses.

"I'll bet you'd shock the magic right out of her if you just went over and sat next to her, let alone started making conversation." Gregory put in casually.

"We could only hope." Draco said.

"Won't know 'til you try it." Vincent told him. "She's actually not that bad. Incredibly friendly."

There was a minute change in the young Malfoy's face that couldn't be paired to a particular emotion. "Anyone can pretend to be friendly." Vincent merely shrugged in reply.

* * *

Amy was bored. She hadn't really thought before about how much time talking to her friends had taken up. Apparently everything school hadn't. Because that day, with the lack of friends in her immediate vicinity or school to be worked on, she was bored.

 _So_ bored.

Just sitting in the common room, staring at the fireplace that burned harshly and puffed heat onto her face at odd intervals. Maybe she shouldn't be sitting so close to the flame – sitting on the floor directly in front of the fireplace wasn't ever encouraged – but she felt no inclination to move.

Suddenly there was movement to her left, and she turned to find Draco Malfoy placing himself on the rug next to her, about three feet away. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, sitting up stiffly straight. "You seem… bored." He noted.

She couldn't help the smile that came to her face. "I was."

He frowned. "Was?"

Amelia twisted her torso slightly so that her shoulders were pointed more in his direction. "I was, but now you're talking to me."

He looked away quickly, gluing his eyes to the fire.

She took a moment to look at him. His blond hair was combed back, just as it always seemed to be, slick with some sort of gel. His green robes did nothing to warm the paleness of his skin, but the fire did, giving him an orange color. Amy was sure it did the same to herself.

"Do you mind if I ask why you're talking to me?" Amelia asked.

"Only if I get to ask why you want to know." He replied slowly, still gazing into the tongues of fire as they consumed the logs in its place.

"After all of the conflict between us, I'd just wondered if this was another ploy working toward something else." She admitted carefully.

Now he risked a look at her, his father's words ringing in his head about how eye-contact was translated to honesty. "This isn't a ploy."

Amy frowned slightly before nodding her head, looking away. "You just decided, on a whim, to be friendly?"

He sighed. "That would involve me making the decision."

Amy turned back to him in confusion. "Someone forced you to come and talk to me?"

"What? No, of course not." Draco said, with a shake of his head. "That came out wrong." That was it. He'd ruined every chance he'd had at figuring out how to repay her for saving him. Girls were offended so easily, and telling one that you had been forced to talk to them was never the way to go. His father never would have made that mistake.

He looked back at Amy, to see what damage had been done. Instead, he found an odd look on her face. It was an amused smile, but barely there. A tiny twist of the end of her lips, and a spark of hilarity in her eye.

"What?" He snapped.

Her smile grew into something that was easy on her face. Not at all forced. He didn't see smiles like that often. "What did you mean when you said you didn't make the decision to come over here, Draco?"

He hesitated at the use of his first name. It was odd, hearing it from someone he barely knew. "Crabbe convinced me."

"So… you _did_ make the decision, but it wasn't your original choice?" She tried to clarify.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"And Vincent was nice enough to push you my direction." Amy added.

"I was _not_ pushed." He disagreed readily.

"I was using it metaphorically." Amy said.

Draco frowned at her, and crossed his arms. "Still not accurate."

"It's hard to be accurate when you're not helping." She said.

His eyes widened in outrage, and he lifted a single eyebrow, not unlike Vincent had during their last conversation. Something about his expression must have been humorous, though, because Amy laughed.

"What's so funny?" He asked, nearly offended.

"You are." She supplied, still laughing a little.

Draco could not remember a single time in his life that he'd been described as funny. Especially not when he'd been trying not to be. No one ever called him _funny_. He was serious. Grown up, even. Mature. _Not_ funny.

Her laughter died off after a moment, and she stared back into the fire again. Her hair was blonde, similar to his mother's. But this blonde was entirely natural, and not something grey with age. And it was curly. Her brown eyes reflected the firelight so clearly it was as if each iris held its own flame.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior." Draco's mouth seemed to move on its own.

Amy seemed surprised, but spoke without hesitation. "Then I forgive you."

He blinked, equally shocked by her statement as she was of his. "You do?"

"Why not? You're apologizing."

He wanted to ask her why she believed that an apology warranted forgiveness.

"Why are you and Vincent so surprised that I forgive you?" She asked, instead.

Draco blinked owlishly for a moment. "We legitimately believed you wouldn't."

"Why not? Keeping a grudge only restricts me. It would do nothing to or against you." She told him. "But if you're willing to apologize, than that must mean that you are sorry about your actions, and wish to change. That's when I forgive you."

"But what if I were lying? What if I won't change?" He asked.

Amy smiled at him, a knowing smile. "That's your choice, then."

He looked back at the fire without actually seeing it.

They were both silent for a long time, until Draco stood. He moved to walk away, but stopped. "Ross? This doesn't mean I like you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still hate you."

She smirked at him. "Thank you for talking to me, Draco."

He scoffed, and sauntered off without a single glance back.

Both students thought over the conversation they'd just had for hours afterward. What had any of it even meant?

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, you guys! I hope you enjoyed it! Also, the next few chapters will only be from Amelia's POV, so this is me apologizing ahead of time that we won't see the other transfers for a while. And then, I'll need to tell Elisa's story. But not yet. Firstly, we need to deal with some canonical business.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **morganna12:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'm really happy that you didn't mind the length. Gratitude for the review, fellow writer.

Catch you later!


	17. Troublesome Catch

A/N: Hello, again, and happy weekend! Or it is for me. As I'm writing this. Right now. Whether or not it is when you read it is something else entirely. Isn't it odd, how time works? And isn't it bizarre how something you write now can be read months, even years later by an entirely different person? Sorry, it's just... odd.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter still isn't mine, and this chapter takes some descriptions and dialogue directly from J.K. Rowling's _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_.

Anyway, I hope life is going well for you all, and here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle actually did enjoy talking with Amy, so Draco was often dragged along, reluctantly most of the time. He would sit, completely silent, as Amy, Vincent, and Gregory talked about favorite classes, or favorite colors, or favorite desserts. Every time one came up, Draco thought of his own answer but never voiced it, simply scowling at the floor.

Some of them were hard to answer, the questions rather thought provoking. Amy insisted that they were only getting-to-know-you questions, but Draco wasn't sure if he could take her word for it. Though he had to admit that he learned a lot about Vincent and Gregory. Including that they had nicknames.

"You do?" Draco asked, his first words spoken in the entirety of their time together.

Vincent shrugged. "My mother calls me by it sometimes. It's just Vin."

"And I've got Greg." Put in the other. "Gregory's a bit of a mouthful."

"Do you like being called by them?" Amy asked. "Because I could call you by them if you prefer."

The boys shrugged their shoulders. "It makes no difference to me." Admitted Vincent.

"Nor me." Gregory added. "Though it is kind of… personal, don't you think?"

Amy blinked at them. "It's a nickname. It's casual, sure, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's personal. Unless it is, to you. I suppose everyone is different." She shrugged. "I always thought my full name was more intimate, though that's mostly because only my Dad calls me by it."

"That's actually kind of fascinating." Vincent said.

"And going by the last name would get confusing when you're around family, wouldn't it?" Amy asked.

"We don't use family names when we're at home." Gregory said with a laugh. "That would be a bit ridiculous."

Amy grinned. "It would, wouldn't it?"

They all were quiet for a moment.

"What's it like, living in a muggle house?" Gregory asked.

"Goyle, you can't just ask someone that sort of a question." Vincent scolded.

"Well, haven't you ever been curious?"

"Living with muggles isn't a taboo, Crabbe." Draco crossed his arms. "It's just not desirable."

Amy lifted a single eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know… my father's a science teacher. He's never believed in magic. Always thought of it as a thing only in fairytales before I received my letter."

"See, what did I tell you? No respect for it." Draco was speaking as if to the room, even though it was only them in the common room at the moment.

"Now hold on, Draco Malfoy. I haven't finished." She told him firmly, but not rudely. "Once my father discovered that magic was real – that it really existed – he drove both me and my mum up the walls with constant questions. 'Why do you think this happens?' and 'How do you suppose that happens?' and 'What sort of funny outfit is that?' and things of the like."

Amy smiled fondly. "We didn't know the answers, obviously, but the amount of limitless curiosity in an adult was really cool. I mean, they get dull sometimes. Bored of the world. I've never once seen an adult act anything like my father did then. And if that's how all of the muggleborns' parents react to this world, than I couldn't see a single piece of harm in it." She folded her arms upon finishing, staring Draco right in the face.

He was meeting her eyes with a level gaze, allowing himself to process what she'd just told him. "But that doesn't change—"

"Draco, what do you know about genes?" Amy asked.

He blinked, surprised at both the question and being interrupted.

"They're a sort of fabric, aren't they?" Vincent asked.

"Not J-E-A-N-S," Draco spelled, slightly condescendingly. "G-E-N-E-S. As in DNA. Ancestry. Your blood." He turned back to Amy. "I know enough. What of it?"

"When we first found out I had magic, my father sat me down at the dining table and together we went through as much as we knew about our family tree." Amy said.

"What for? If you're muggleborn then you don't have any magical blood." Gregory asked.

"Someone could have just been born a squib along the way. Married into a muggle family and passed the magical gene down as a recessive trait. It could be passed down through my family, missing generations, before finally coming out because my mother probably had some in her family tree as well."

"I'll be honest," Vincent stopped her. "You've lost me since the beginning."

"But I understood." Draco stared hard at her. "Are you suggesting that you _do_ have magic in your ancestry?"

"I'm suggesting everyone does, including muggleborns." She told them.

Draco frowned, his brows drawing closer together above his nose. "But muggleborns don't have…"

"How else do you explain their existence, Draco?" She asked. "How else could I possibly exist?"

His face turned thoughtful as he seemed to ponder something for a long while. They stayed quiet, each wondering what the outcome could be. What would his mind stick with? What would he believe?

The thing that finally drew him from his thoughts was the obvious silence of the group. He looked up at them, seeing the concerned look in Vincent's eyes, and the confused look in Gregory's. And Amelia Ross looking grim.

Draco exhaled slowly through his nose. "I need to think about it. Let's change the subject." He advised, sinking backward into his seat.

They hesitated, and it was Vincent who brought up the next topic; Quidditch. Something he'd assumed Draco wouldn't mind talking about.

But the young Malfoy wasn't even paying attention, his mind hundreds of thousands of kilometers away.

* * *

Christmas was fast approaching. Amy had written her parents to ask them to send her materials and things to make the presents she would give to her friends, and they obliged readily. So Amelia spent her free time putting the gifts together.

By Christmas Eve, the presents were sent.

The next morning, Amelia opened her eyes slowly, her lids wishing to stay closed, receiving help from sticky sleep sand that had made itself home over the night. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in her bed. Not for the first time that week, she was aware of the silence that enveloped the dorm room due to all of her roommates going home for the holiday.

She yawned, and scratched her scalp before looking at the foot of her bed.

Where there were packages of many sizes.

A grin slowly spread across her face and she pulled herself from the warmth of her blankets and crawled to the foot of her bed before grabbing the nearest box.

It was tiny, and "To Amy, From Max" was written on the side. She pulled at the paper until the inside was exposed to show a small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He'd gotten her candy. How nice.

Then she glanced at the rest of the pile and noticed that there were at least twenty other presents of the very same size. Amelia frowned and picked up another. Sure enough, it was also from Max. In fact, every one of those tiny boxes was individually wrapped with the same words written on their sides. She laughed before deciding to leave those unopened for the moment.

The next one was from her parents. It was a larger box, about as wide as her shoulders and as tall as her forearm. Not terribly large, but incredibly light. She opened it to find a new jumper, deep green in color and soft. But inside of it were also what she asked for to give to Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. It was so short notice that her parents had just shoved it in with her own presents.

Elisabeth had gotten her a Chocolate Cauldron and a signed copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , and Lynne had sent a large, silver bow with something else pinned to a piece of paper. It was a periwinkle ribbon. On the paper was a note. "You'll need it more than me. – Lynne Morr" Amy smiled.

Jasper had gotten her two pairs of mittens, one yellow and one green, which looked as if they were knitted, along with a small bag of Cockroach Clusters.

When Amy dressed for the day, she put on her new jumper and shoved a yellow pair of mittens into her pocket so that she would have them for later. She used the paper from her other gifts to quickly wrap her newly-friends' presents before tucking them under her arm.

As she was leaving the dorm room she caught sight of Draco, Vincent, and Gregory all walking toward the exit of the Slytherin common room. She called to them and approached when they stopped to wait.

She handed each of them a small, hastily wrapped gift. "I know it's not much, but… Merry Christmas."

The three boys stared at her in shock.

She motioned with her hand. "Go on, open them. What are you waiting for?"

Crabbe and Goyle opened theirs first while Draco was still caught up in the fact that he'd just been handed something.

"What is it?" Vincent asked, holding up his own gift.

Amy smiled. "It's a neckerchief. You put it on like…" She trailed off, motioning with her hands that it would go around his neck.

"Where did you get them?" Gregory asked, holding his own, which was a silvery grey, checkered black, contrasted to Vincent's green with a black border.

"My grandmother used to make them." Amy said carefully, wondering how they would react.

"Mine isn't a neckerchief." Draco's voice suddenly sounded wary.

Amy looked over at him. The blond boy was staring at the silk square he held in his hands, confused. Its green, swirling accents contrasting nicely with the solid black color; it was Amy's second favorite of the bunch, but it seemed to fit the Malfoy well. "It is, actually. It's just a different fabric, so it can double as some sort of… pocket stuffer." He lifted a single eyebrow as he looked up at her. She shrugged nervously. "You know, the handkerchiefs people put in their suit pockets. Actually, so can Crabbe and Goyle's, I just left theirs full sized."

"Mine isn't full sized?" Draco asked.

"It has a shrinking charm on it." She explained. "But you can take it off. If you want. I mean, you don't have to—"

"Thank you, Ross." Draco interrupted her, pulling out his wand and speaking the counter spell for the shrinking charm so that the silk could extend to its full size. "It will go wonderfully with this." He gestured to his torso, and that was when Amy realized that he had also gotten a new sweater for Christmas.

"Thank you very much." Vincent said, having already tied his around his neck. "I love it."

"Me, too." Gregory put in, just tying his off.

She blushed lightly. "I'm glad."

"We didn't get you anything." Vincent mentioned, looking suddenly disappointed.

Amy shook her head. "That's all right, I don't want anything." She paused. "Except help eating my Every Flavor Beans. I got around twenty boxes for Christmas."

Gregory's eyes widened. "What for?"

"I asked for candy, and Max sent me them."

"All twenty?"

"It seems that way, yes." Amy said, laughing at the looks on their faces.

There was a small pause, and Draco cleared his throat. "Well, I'll see you at the feast, Ross." And that was all he said before he left.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle waved their farewells before following him.

Amy sighed after they left, and looked at her watch. Just under an hour before noon, and the Hogwarts Christmas feast. She'd slept through breakfast.

* * *

The feast itself was beautiful, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Because there were less people in the Great Hall, Amy sat closer to the other Slytherins that she would have normally avoided. It was Christmas, and they were all used to her presence to the point that they could easily ignore her. Vincent actually offered her the seat next to him, though after seeing the harsh glares the few other Slytherins present sent him, she politely declined, making a joke about how she could get an entire bowl of Christmas pudding to herself if she sat further down.

Across the Great Hall, there was laughing. Throughout the meal, there was singing, Professor Dumbledore actually leading some of the songs. There were numerous Christmas trees, each looking frost-covered. The ceiling was decorated with thick streamers of mistletoe and holly. And snow was falling. Inside. But it was warm and dry. Not for the first time, Amelia was in awe of the things magic could conjure.

It all went well.

Or… almost.

That night, she was sitting in the common room, reading Elisa's gift to her, when Draco entered, with Vincent and Gregory at his heels. "Wait here, I'll go and get it – my father's just sent it to me." Draco was walking toward the boys' dormitories as he said this, and Amy watched as Crabbe and Goyle sat down in the nearest chairs, looking uncomfortable.

Confused and mildly concerned, she approached. "What's he on about?" She asked them.

They seem shocked that she was speaking to them at all. "Er… not sure." Admitted Gregory.

Draco appeared seconds later, holding a small piece of newspaper. A clipping. He thrust it into Vincent's face. "That'll give you a laugh."

Amy watched Vincent carefully, and was baffled as his eyes widened, skimming over the text in a rush before he released a forced laugh that almost sounded choked out before handing it to Gregory.

"Well?" Draco asked, rather impatient as Gregory handed the piece of paper back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"

It was Gregory's turn to laugh tensely, and Amy looked over Draco's shoulder to read the heading of the paper. "INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC" she caught, before Draco moved, and looked at her. "You wouldn't appreciate the humour."

"Why not?" She asked easily.

Draco shook his head. "I'm not in the mood for games, Ross. Go read your book."

Amy stared at him for a moment, before leaving to sit back on her chair. But she could still hear every word of the conversation. She inwardly scolded herself for eaves dropping, but also couldn't help it.

"Arthur Weasley loves muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and join them." Draco said.

Amelia kept her eyes on the page, the only word carving itself into her mind being "basilisk", where it rested on the page just above its danger level and description. But she didn't move her eyes from the name of the creature, her ears trained to Draco.

"You'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods, the way they behave – what's up with you, Crabbe?"

"Stomachache." The grunt caused Amelia to look up in worry. Vincent's face was contorted with something… but she wasn't sure it was pain.

"Well, go to the hospital wing." Draco said, and seemed to hesitate. "You know, I'm surprised the _Daily Prophet_ hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves muggleborns."

Amy couldn't help responding. "Why does it sound like you believe those two facts are connected?" She asked him.

Draco turned to her. "Why don't you keep your nose on your face?" He snapped, before looking back to his friends, confused by their lack of reaction at his response. "What's the _matter_ with you two?"

"Honestly…" He shook his head. "You know, Ross, last time the Chamber of Secrets opened, a muggleborn died. So I bet it's only a matter of time before another one of you is killed."

The veiled threat wasn't lost on Amy, but she was too confused by the evident emotion revealed in Gregory as he moved to stand, glaring at Draco, before Vincent held his shoulder to keep him down. Something was off about the entire scene, and Amy realized that it wasn't Draco's behavior at all.

It was Crabbe and Goyle's.

She frowned at them, and Draco changed the subject. "You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?" He asked them.

Crabbe didn't look worried at all, but Goyle seemed to force his face to change into one of concern.

That was when Amy noticed that Vincent's face seemed to be… growing freckles.

Oh.

Oh, _no_.

Suddenly very thankful of having Elisa rant about the workings of certain potions so that Amy could, even accidentally, know the information, she launched out of her chair. "Vincent, Gregory, come on." Amy said, rushing forward and grabbing their sleeves before pulling them to their feet.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, beginning to get angry.

"We'll be back. Don't follow." Amy told him, shoving them toward the Slytherin Room exit as she whispered to them "Run."

"What do you mean 'don't follow'?" He asked, following.

She barely looked over her shoulder at him. "I need their help with something."

"What could you possibly—"

"I'll explain later."

"But that doesn't—"

"Stay. _Here_." She responded firmly, mimicking Pomona Sprout the best she could.

It must have worked, because Draco stopped where he was and watched her leave without another word.

Amy climbed the stairs seconds later, and easily caught up with Vincent and Gregory, Vincent's hair quickly turning a vivid ginger. She grabbed both of their robes by their hoods and felt a solid jerk in her arms as she somehow managed to pull both boys to a stop after a few extra stumbling steps.

They both turned to her, Gregory pulling out his wand as if out of reflex.

"What? What is it? Are we clear?"

Amy recognized both the voice and the slowly-morphing face that spoke it. She glared fiercely at the pair of them as their appearance deteriorated before her eyes. "Are you _both_ out of your minds? Where did you even _get_ a Polyjuice potion? And where are Vincent and Gregory?"

"Well, hello to you too, Amy." Said Not-Gregory, his eyes squinting now. It was as she'd begun to suspect; Harry Potter.

She exhaled in an attempt to calm herself. "Harry, I'm running out of patience." She caught sight of his bare feet. "Where are your shoes?"

"What?" He looked down, as if to confirm they were missing. "Oh. We left them."

"Where?" She asked.

The ginger was Ron. Ronald Weasley. She was about to smack the both of them when he responded. "Outside of the closet. That's where Crabbe and Goyle are."

She sighed deeply. "You're both… I mean, honestly… If I were…" She released a sound of frustration.

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." She shook her head. "What purpose do you two have for imitating Gregory and Vincent?"

"Er… we have a theory, you see." Ron said slowly.

"We think Draco Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin." Harry put in.

Amy stared blankly at them. "Why? What proof do you have?"

"We were trying to _get_ proof when you interrupted us." Ron told her.

Amy was shaking her head. "Draco isn't the heir."

"How do you know? He's a pureblood Slytherin." Harry said.

"And so are over a dozen other people including the two you're impersonating." She paled slightly. "You said they were in a closet?"

"Um… their fine, if that's what you're wondering." Ron assured her.

But she didn't feel very assured. "You know what? I don't care. How did you get a polyjuice potion?"

"Hermione made it."

"Ron, we can't tell her everything!" Harry said.

"Don't worry, I won't tell." She said. "Unless Vincent or Gregory are hurt."

Both boys frowned. "I thought they were bullying you." Harry said.

"They used to, but not now." She told them. "But that's not important. I expect to hear a full explanation of this tomorrow. I'll be coming to find you to get it." Amy began using her Professor Sprout impersonation once more. "But go on. I'll do damage control."

And as Harry thanked her, and Ron took off down the hall, she thought that this must have been what Max had meant when he said he was damage control for the Weasleys. Just following behind and helping pick up the messes they would make.

This would _not_ be a fun job.

* * *

A/N: Were those last few sentences foreshadowing? Perhaps.

Thanks for reading, thank you for your follows/favorites/reviews, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your... day? Night? Again with the oddness of time. Have a nice... life. Yes. That's a good one.

Catch you later!


	18. Lighting a Match

A/N: Oh my wordy wordness. That's not a word, and it's underlined in bright red. Anyway, my attention is frayed, so I'll keep this short. Thank you for reading my story! I've enjoyed writing it so far, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of its characters. I did take direct quotes (again) from _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_. I only own my OCs, and that's thanks to jahaha27 (you're amazing, and thank you for that plot help). I'm an American. Oh! And I don't have a beta reader, so any of the grammar mistakes, or any mistakes, are my own.

On with the tale! I'm pretty sure we'd left Crabbe and Goyle locked in a closet, right? It's probably best that we get them out soon...

* * *

The closet Harry Potter and his partner-in-crime, Ron Weasley, had been talking of was indicated by the two pairs of hastily removed shoes in front of it.

That, and the loud banging coming from within.

Amy licked her dry lips nervously before opening the door. The two, large boys spilled out into a heap in front of her.

Vincent was bright red in his face as he stood, his ears practically smoking as he scowled. "When I get a hold of whoever—"

"Ross?" Gregory interrupted his friend, catching sight of Amy. "Thank you for letting us out."

"No problem." She motioned to the things on the ground. "Here are your shoes."

It was rather suddenly that the two Slytherins noticed their lack of footwear. "What in Merlin's name…?" Vincent trailed off, shoving his large feet into his large shoes.

Amy took a shaky breath. "I'll explain, but first we need to get back to Draco."

"What's wrong with him?" Gregory asked, suddenly looking worried.

Amy rubbed her arms. "Like I said, I'll explain, but we need to go. Are you two all right?"

"Beyond the last thing I remember being eating a delicious cake, and the fact my shoes were apparently stolen, I would say I'm just ducky." Vincent ground out. "Where's Malfoy?"

"Common room." She answered simply.

"Then let's go."

They all made their way back to the Slytherin common, entering without flourish, with Draco pacing in front of the fireplace, the fire light giving the twelve-year-old a rather serious look. He turned to them with a scowl on his face. "Great. You're back. How was your trip?" Carefully restrained rage dripped from every word, and Vincent and Gregory gave Amy a confused look.

"Draco, those two boys you brought into the common room weren't Crabbe or Goyle." She tried carefully. It got his attention, but he continued to glare at her. "They drank a Polyjuice potion to appear like them."

"And how do you know that?" His voice was quiet.

"Because Vincent started getting freckles. And, as you can tell, Vincent doesn't have any." Amy tried. "Listen, if you ask them, they would tell you that they—"

"I thought I told you before that I wasn't in the mood to play your games." He snapped at her. "All of this… nonsense you're trying to tell me is stupid. And pointless. If it's means to an end, then get to the end. I'm tired of it."

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she stared at him, and he stared back.

"Vincent and I ate some cake." Gregory said. "There must have been a sleeping draught in it. We woke up in a closet and Amy let us out only a few minutes ago."

Draco turned his poisonous glare to him. "You're backing her up? Defending her?"

"She's telling the truth."

"She's untrustworthy. Pitiful. _Disgusting_ excuse for a witch." With each insult he stepped closer to her, glaring into her eyes.

She swallowed, and stared back. "Maybe I am. But you, Draco Malfoy, need to see what's in front of your face."

"Are you calling me stupid?" He challenged.

"No." She stated. "I'm saying that people are getting hurt, and someone believes you're responsible. That's what they were doing in here, those imposters. That's why they knocked out your friends and took their place. They believe _you_ are attacking the students, and they wanted proof."

He shook his head, still staring her down. "You're insane."

"I'm glad you noticed."

Draco scoffed, and turned away. "So you practically shoved them out of the room. Why?"

"They were beginning to change back." Amy said honestly.

"Then they would have been caught in their act." Draco said.

"And they never would have been able to live it down." She put in.

He made a confirming motion with his hand. "Exactly my point. Are you siding with them? Do you think I'm the heir, too?"

"No."

"You should. I wish I knew who it is." He growled.

"You must have some idea who's behind it all." Amy thought.

"Of course I haven't." He snapped. "And Father won't tell me anything about it."

Amy frowned. "Your father would know?"

"He knows a lot about the last time it was opened." Draco bragged. "Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time. But it was all kept quiet, and he said it would look suspicious if I knew too much."

If that was the case, then how did Draco's father know anything about it at all? The question raced through Amy's thoughts, but she clamped it down and focused on what Draco was saying. "So you don't know anything more than we do?"

He glared at her. "Of course I know more than you do." His voice was condescending.

Amy frowned. "Was the last person who opened the Chamber ever caught?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Draco asked. "Of course they were. Whoever it was got expelled. They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Amy asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Azkaban – _the wizard prison_ , Ross. Don't you know anything? Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward."

Ouch. Amy lifted an eyebrow at him, but said nothing in response to the rude statement.

"Thanks again, Ross." Vincent's voice cut through the silence. She turned to find him smiling at her kindly. "It would have taken us forever to get out of that closet without you."

"Yeah," agreed Gregory. "Probably would have missed supper. And wouldn't that have been just terrible on Christmas day?"

Amy smiled at the two of them, expressing her gratitude with the expression.

"Didn't everyone think it was Potter?" Draco asked slowly, his voice turned thoughtful.

Amy frowned. "Sorry?"

"Didn't everyone think Potter was the heir of Slytherin?" He repeated. "If everyone thinks it's Harry Potter, than why would they come to me?"

"Unless they are some of the few that don't think it's Harry." Amy mentioned.

"Yeah, but a Polyjuice potion? Where did they even get—" He abruptly froze, and turned to them. He pointed his finger accusingly at her. "It was them. It was that Granger girl, and the dumb Weasley. They helped Harry Potter sneak into this common room. Didn't they?" The question wasn't really so much of an inquiry as it was a statement open to confirmation.

Amy frowned, faking thought. "That would certainly make sense, I suppose."

"That filthy little…" His hiss of an insult trailed off, and he clenched his fist, before stomping off.

Amy would have been worried for the trio of Gryffindors responsible, but Draco hadn't even gone toward the exit of the common room. He'd gone toward his dormitory.

Vincent and Gregory traded concerned looks, and it was later who spoke. "We'd better check up on him."

And as they left, Amy took a deep breath as sarcasm came to her thoughts with a single phrase. What a lovely Christmas this turned out to be.

* * *

On January third, students returned to Hogwarts. And in this time, two questions were asked. The first; where was Hermione Granger? The answer; hospital wing. Some speculated that she'd been petrified, while others simply assumed that some sort of Gryffindor prank gone-wrong led her to be in that wing of the castle.

The second was posed by Amelia Ross upon her greeting of her friends at the entrance of the castle.

"Where's Elisa?"

"I'm not sure." Jasper was the one who answered, looking back to where he came from.

"She wasn't on the train." Max agreed. It had been a quiet ride without her. Not that she was very talkative to begin with.

"I hope she's all right." Amy said, worry taking her over.

Until she was tackled from behind. She grunted, stepping forward a bit to compensate for the added weight. "Amy!"

"Hello, Lynne." She greeted with a smile.

The brunette released her and walked around to her front. "I love it so much!" She held up her right hand, exposing the bright blue bracelet on her wrist. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Amy responded.

"Can I see yours?" Lynne asked. The note she'd received with the gift said it was a friendship bracelet, and that Amy had one to match.

The blonde held up her own left wrist to show the matching blue band with a periwinkle ribbon wrapped around it; an extra piece from Lynne's gift.

"It was such a great idea." Lynne said.

"Oh, speaking of Christmas, thanks for the hat, Ross." Jasper put in. "Now I've got three."

"Well, thank you for the mittens." She responded. "And was it necessary to wrap every single box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans separately, Max?"

The Gryffinclaw smirked. "Did you laugh?"

"Yes."

"Then of course it was. Thank you for the cards. Ruby played at _least_ fifty-million games of Go Fish with me." He told her.

"Absolutely. I'm glad you enjoyed it." She said with a smirk of her own.

"Where's your Ravenclaw friend? Well, I guess she's a Gryffindor now, but still…" Lynne wanted to know.

Amy shrugged. "I don't know."

"It is kind of worrying." Max agreed, before looking to Jasper. "How did she seem leaving the platform in December?"

"Oh," The Slytherpuff frowned. "There was something off, but she said she would explain another time."

They all stood in silence for a moment as the other students bustled around them.

"I just hope she's okay." Amy admitted.

"She'll be just fine." Jasper tried to reassure her. "Something probably held her up."

But they all wondered the same thing. What could have done that?

* * *

That evening in the Great Hall, Amy was approached by Professor Severus Snape. The Potions master stood across from where she was seated, and behind two other students that happened to be Lynne and Rory. The moment he began speaking, they both flinched in surprise.

"Ms. Ross, if you would see me after the meal it would be much appreciated." He droned in his slow, monotonous way that still managed to portray his irritation.

She took a breath. "Absolutely, Professor."

"Splendid." He said, his voice implying it was anything but, before he left them.

Rory shivered. "He gives me the creeps sometimes."

"He's your Head of House." Max mentioned.

"That doesn't make his presence any less… chilling." Rory said. "Why does he want to see you, Amy?"

Everyone in their little group turned to face her, all wanting then answer Rory had asked for.

"Well… I'm not absolutely certain, but it could have to do with that incident at the Dueling Club in December." The truth was that Dumbledore hadn't said a word to her about who would be the teacher of her extra class. And that was the only reason she could think up for why Professor Snape only asked for her specifically.

"Did you get some sort of detention for it?" Max asked. And that was when Amy realized she'd only told Elisa and Lynne about the truth behind the meeting with Dumbledore.

"No, of course not. That would be ridiculous." She said. "It's just that, when I was dueling, I did something that Professor Dumbledore wants me to keep practicing."

"What did you do, Amy?" Jasper asked.

She sighed. "Non-verbal magic."

"So Professor Snape is going to tell you who your teacher is?"

"Or he _is_ my teacher." Amy said with a shrug. "He's knowledgeable enough to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"How do you know that?" Jasper asked slowly, in some sort of awe she'd never heard before.

Amy shrugged. "He'd originally applied for the position, but Dumbledore didn't give it to him."

"But how do you _know_ that?" He repeated.

"Because I asked." Amy said, slightly self-conscious.

Jasper shook his head. "Hufflepuffs."

"Exactly!" Lynne agreed, gesturing at him with her hand while meeting Amy's eyes as if to emphasize her point.

Amy smiled slightly, before looking back at her food.

After the meal, Amy experienced some déjà vu upon her waiting outside of the Great Hall for Professor Snape, and contemplating to go and look in his office.

"Ms. Ross," Severus Snape caught her attention, and she turned to him. She waved slightly with her hand in greeting. He rolled his eyes. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to be your… teacher for the extra class assigned to you once each week."

"Thank you for accepting." She said cautiously.

He stared down his pointed nose at her. "I will not tolerate tardiness, and I will not tolerate passive attention or effort. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Perfect." His voice was sharp. "It will be every Friday at ten o'clock, in place of your break in between classes." He paused then, to see if she would react to the class interrupting her free time, but she showed no irritation by the news, so dipped his head slightly in farewell. "I expect to see you in class tomorrow."

She watched him leave, slightly apprehensive; any conversation with the professor of potions was tense, though that was normally due to his speech pattern. Amy was sure that if she got used to it, it wouldn't phase her quite so much. But at that moment, she was winded from the encounter, and put a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

* * *

Elisa took a deep breath and looked over at Professor McGonagall, who gave her a kind, sympathetic smile. It hadn't even been two weeks since... _I_ _t_ happened, and she was nearly tired of those expressions. And as Professor McGonagall spoke the password, Elisa cataloged the word for future use and stepped into the Gryffindor common room.

She had taken only four steps inside when she was ambushed by ginger twins.

"Our queen has returned!" Fred exclaimed.

"We've missed you, milady." George said with a deep bow, and his brother joined the action.

Elisa found herself smiling at their antics. "You may rise." She spoke, in a mockingly pompous voice.

The pair straightened themselves, grinning twin grins. Fred tipped his head with a tiny solute in the direction of his Head of House. "Professor,"

"Mr. Weasley." She said in turn. Though she was relieved more than anything else; Elisa had smiled instantly upon seeing them, and she hadn't since Minerva had picked her up from the station. A bit of worry lifted from her shoulders. The poor girl would have a rough semester ahead of her, but she seemed to be in good hands.

"We hate to take your student away, Professor, but we have urgent plans to discuss." Cut in Fred.

"Yes, urgent!" Agreed George, taking Elisa's elbow.

"I need to put my things in my dorm—"

"Nonsense; you can do that later." Exclaimed George, interrupting her defense.

"Or, actually, don't you share a room with Meredith?" Fred asked, then turned toward the rest of the room. "Meredith!"

Upon hearing her name, a girl with bright-blue hair approached them. "Whatcha need?"

"Would you be a dear and take Elisa's things to your room?" Fred asked.

The other Gryffindor smirked, giving the twin a wink. "Absolutely."

She gently shoved Elisa's trunk to move in the direction of the stairs, as it already had a feather-light charm on it, so it weighed practically nothing. As she passed, she looked to Minerva McGonagall. "Now that Elisa's back, Professor, it may be best that you don't hear what they discuss."

"I'm aware, thank you Ms. Dolly." She told Meredith, and then leaned closer to whisper. "Just keep an eye on them?"

Confused by the Professor's concern for the transfer student, she shrugged. "Sure."

"Thank you very much." Minerva told her, genuinely, before leaving the common room. She had something to tell the school's staff.

* * *

"Elisa!" Amy gasped, rushing up to the Ravendor and giving her an incredibly tight hug.

The darker-haired girl gave a bit of a grunt before returning the embrace, just as tight. "Hello, Amy."

"I've missed you terribly, and was beginning to worry. Are you all right?" She asked.

"Of course I am." If they weren't still hugging each other, Elisa's face would have given away her lie.

"Truly?"

Elisa's heart ached as she responded. "Truly."

"I'm so glad." Amy pulled away, and Elisa quickly cleared her face of any sadness that had been there. Though it must not have been quick enough, because Amy frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Elisa smiled now. "I will be. Now, catch me up on what happened over Christmas. Hermione Granger is in the hospital wing?"

Amy walked the Ravendor over to the Gryffindor table and they sat down at one end of it. Amy's tale was only interrupted by Jasper and Max's arrival, and they merely traded a single, excited greeting with their recently-returned fellow transfer before sitting and allowing Amy to finish.

"So you're taking an extra class with Professor Snape now?" Elisa asked. "I'm assuming that means you won't be taking one with me anymore."

"Oh, of course I will!" Exclaimed Amy. "That is, if you'd still like to."

Elisa smiled. "I would love to." It would be a great distraction.

The rest of the meal was taken up by eating and talking of pointless matters and Christmas presents, and Elisa couldn't have been happier about it.

But her fellow students noticed she was quieter. She didn't speak unless drawn into the conversation with a question, at which point she would talk until she was no longer needed to continue the topic. Whenever she was silent throughout the meal, her mind seemed a while away, and each thought was sad if they could judge it by the look on her face.

When asked if she was doing all right, she would respond in the positive. When asked how her Christmas was, she would say it was different than any other, but they couldn't get her to elaborate. When asked about anything relating to the winter break, her answer would always be as vague as possible.

So that one question they had been asking themselves over the last few days changed to something else.

What happened to Elisabeth Morgan over Christmas?

* * *

A/N: Aw... what did the author do to Elisa? They better not have hurt the Ravendor emotionally or physically (I totally have and I feel terrible about it). And making Amy take another class under Professor Snape? How cruel! (That... is also true)

Don't worry, I'll explain Elisa's situation... eventually. I hope you enjoyed the update! I know it's a bit shorter, but I did another two-days-in-a-row thing, just with my other story, _You've Cat to be Kitten Me..._ I'm actually managing to keep up with both stories, so... woohoo?

Catch you later!


	19. Problem Hatch

A/N: I'M BACK!

It's a sad day on fanfiction when the first chapters of a story are deleted from the Document Manager to conserve space... You other fanfic writers know exactly what I'm speaking of, if you post your masterpieces on this website... Anyway, it's begun. And another one of my stories just... _poof_. Gone. It's a really good thing I have them saved on my computer.

Anyway, happy early Thanksgiving to you Americans who read this! And you had all better stay safe come Black Friday. I would genuinely be upset if you didn't.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I'm American. I'm not an expert on... anything. I'm not the owner of Harry Potter or the universe he belongs to. I'm not an editor, and I don't have one, so I apologize for any mistakes made.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Amelia entered the classroom in a rush; she'd promised not to be late, but the scheduling was odd and it took her a longer time to cross the castle than she'd expected. The consequence of this was that she was barely on time, and out of breath once she got there.

And where is there? Professor Snape had commandeered one of the empty classrooms to use for their lesson. It was set up in a similar way to where the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes took place; everything at one level, with the ability to easily maneuver desks and chairs out of the way of whatever they may be practicing. That day, all of the desks were pushed against a single wall, leaving a large open space to work in.

"Punctual." Professor Snape spoke the word as if it worked as a greeting, praise, and scolding all at once. In fact, Amy wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic, reminding her of what he always expected, or subtly applauding her for making it on time.

He waited for her to reach the center of the room before saying anything more. "Today is rather simple in its structure; we will assess where you are in skill level with this practice of magic."

She frowned in confusion, but wasn't going to question his methods.

The professor sighed deeply, with a tiny eye roll. "Ms. Ross, if you are to learn anything in this class, you need to understand what is going on at all times. If you don't, ask." The last letter was sharp as he added extra emphasis to the word it belonged to, punctuating his sentence with a click.

"I just… wasn't aware that you didn't already know where I am in skill level." She hesitated on the use of the last phrase, not quite happy with the term. It wasn't really skill he was evaluating, was it?

"I am you potions instructor. I don't see you perform any other magic. In fact, the first time I saw you use anything outside of my classroom was at that disgusting excuse of a dueling club." Professor Snape explained. "And that was briefly. And just because you can perform a Petrificus Totalus without uttering a single word under pressure does not mean you would do so well without the potential risk to your health."

Amy blinked before nodding slowly. "That makes sense, actually."

"Good." He spoke the word slowly, and then folded his hands in front of him. "I am aware that you can perform first-year magic without much difficulty, as you demonstrated to the Headmaster before the end of last term. However…" He paused here. Amy wasn't sure if it was for dramatic effect or to allow himself time to gather his thoughts. "I would like to see how you fair with something more advanced."

"Such as?" She asked carefully.

He stared at her for a moment. Amy shifted her weight uncomfortably, but couldn't help staring back.

"Incendio." He stated simply.

She frowned slightly, as Elisa had taught her that spell at the beginning of December, but she hadn't been able to practice it much since it involved a stream of fire coming from the tip of the wand. Amy looked around at all of the wood in the room and hesitated.

"Children." Snape muttered this in a way that something else was implied. "I can clean up any mess you make." He said louder, obviously for her to hear this time and with annoyance.

Amy cleared her throat, and drew her wand. Trying to recall the feeling she'd had when she actually successfully cast the spell in class—

"Just a moment." The professor stopped her. "Perform it verbally first."

She furrowed her brow but didn't comment on the change in plan. Instead, she lifted her wand and completed the normal motion of her wand to cast the spell while saying firmly " _Incendio_." A small amount of fire temporarily spurted from the tip of her wand, but she cut it short out of worry.

Professor Snape seemed focused now, instead of increasingly annoyed. "Well, you're not entirely incompetent. I was sure that Lockhart would have driven all of the knowledge out of everyone who sat through a lecture of his."

Amy smirked. "He does. I just have Elisa tutoring me. Counteracts the effect."

The Potions master rolled his eyes, but was secretly pleased that the student shared his dislike in the arrogant Gilderoy Lockhart. "Try to cast it silently this time."

The Hufflyn frowned in concentration, lifting her wand to try and do just that. But nothing happened. She tried again, and got the same result.

Professor Snape folded his arms and said nothing.

Amy sighed, and dropped her hand. "I'm sorry, Professor." When he stayed silent, she risked a look at him. Snape seemed to stare through her. "I'll try again." She said firmly, lifting her wand once more.

"Wait." He stopped her with the word.

Amy froze and returned her attention to her instructor.

"That spell is obviously too complicated for you to perform without the verbal incantation. This is… to be expected of someone your age." He admitted, seemingly reluctant. Frustrated at something Amelia wasn't entirely sure involved her.

"I know I can do it, Professor. I just… I have to work on it. And I will." She promised.

"The point of a class is to learn, Ms. Ross. The point of a lesson is to be taught. You have not been taught what you already know about non-verbal magic, and this causes a problem because I want to make something clear," his voice was stern. Incredibly intense. Though, Amy reasoned, he always sounded that way.

"You are here to learn. I am here to teach you. Attempting to figure this out on your own will result in serious injury, or worse. And then I would have to supply a reason as to why you acted in such a foolish way and ended up in the hospital wing or in a grave yard. Which would be tedious for us both." He stated.

She paused. And when she didn't think he was going to continue, she asked "Well… then what would you suggest?"

"Let us start with something simpler."

* * *

Lynne dug her fork into her plate of pasta before looking up and down the length of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. She glanced at Rory, contentedly shoveling his mouth full of noodles. "Have you seen Amy today?"

He stopped and swallowed his bite. "Haven't you? You're the one in her year."

"Yeah, but I only saw her this morning." Lynne said. "We had one class, and then she ran off at the beginning of free-time."

Rory paused to think. "Didn't she have that class with Professor Snape today?"

Lynne blinked owlishly as the older boy shoved his mouth full once more before understanding finally found its way to her. "Oh, Merlin's tea kettle."

Rory practically choked on his food. "That's not an actual swear, Morr."

"She had a class with Snape today!" Lynne hissed in a whisper. "And I haven't seen her since!"

"Are you suggesting our Head of House murdered a student?" Rory asked, still trying to recover from his experience of nearly dying of asphyxiation-by-noodles.

Lynne looked appalled. "Of course not. But what happened to Amy?"

Rory took a drink of his juice before looking toward the door. "I don't—Oh," He cut himself off, changing his sentence. "I guess you could ask her yourself."

Lynn flipped around so fast one of her long, brunette braids nearly smacked her in the face. She watched as Amy approached them, dragging her feet.

The transfer plopped down onto the bench, directly next to Lynne, before laying her head on the table in front of her.

Quite a few people were eyeing her with interest, among them a certain trio farther down the table. Lynne, however, didn't notice at all as she nudged the Hufflyn with her elbow. "Are you all right?"

"Pro'ly." Amy mumbled into the wood, barely able to be heard in the full Hall and through her thick blonde hair that muffled her speach.

Lynne smirked and nudged her again. "What?"

Amy lifted her head slowly, as if it took a vast amount of effort to do so. "I only said 'probably'."

"How did your class go?" Rory asked through his half-a-mouthful of pasta.

"You mean the one with Professor Snape?" Amy checked. At their energetic nods, she sighed. "Fine."

"It went… 'fine'?" Lynne asked.

"It wasn't all that exciting." Amy said. "Just tiring. I think I performed the same spell at least fifty times." She paused thoughtfully. "I never thought using magic could make you sleepy."

Rory smiled slightly. "It's just a side effect of using it more than you're used to." He shrugged. "You'll develop a tolerance to it over time."

Amy frowned. Lynne noticed and tipped her head to be more in her friend's view. "What is it?"

"I just…" She shook her head. "I messed it up."

"What did you mess up?"

"Incendio. I can do it verbally, but not silently." Amy said.

"Well… I haven't even learned that one yet." Lynne said. "It was just vaguely spoken of in Lockhart's class because he claims to have used it against a pack of werewolves."

"I'm actually pretty sure he used that one on regular wolves," Rory mentioned off-handedly, twirling his fork for more of the pasta.

"If there's an exam in his class, I'll fail it." Lynne admitted, looking grim. "I've never failed a class in all of my incredibly short life. But I'm going to fail this one."

"Don't be silly." Amy told her, scooping some pasta onto her own plate. "You passed a year of Defense Against the Dark Arts classes that were taught by a stuttering man with Volde—"

" _Sh_!" Lynne hushed her friend harshly.

"—You-Know-Who stuck on the back of his head." Amy corrected herself without complaint, knowing it made them uncomfortable. "I'm sure you can pass a class taught by Gilderoy Perfect-Smile Lockhart."

"You really believe that rumor about You-Know-Who?" Rory asked. "Because my parents think it's a load of rubbish."

"My parents don't know who he is." Amy told him. "So they don't really have an opinion on the subject. All I know is that it was what the Gryffindors said happened. Because that's what Harry said happened."

"But if Harry Potter says it, everyone will believe it." Lynne mentioned. "He's practically a celebrity."

"Not _practically_." Rory said. "He _is_. I've had people approach me in Hogsmeade and ask me if I would get Potter to sign something for them." He shook his head, looking mildly disgusted. "Poor lad probably doesn't even know what to do with all of the attention."

"He seems to be handling it fine." Amy observed, looking off in the direction of the Gryffindor table as if she could see it. "For now, at least."

"Emphasis on 'for now'. I've seen loads of people crack under that sort of pressure. And they were adults." Rory said, pointing pointedly with the pointy end of his fork.

They began to eat after a moment of silent thought, no one really picking up the conversation or directing it elsewhere. They simply ate and enjoyed each other's company, looking forward to the two days of break ahead of them, the Friday half way over.

* * *

"Hullo, Elisa!" Max greeted cheerily in the corridor on their way to a joined class on Friday's afternoon. He noticed that she barely acknowledged him, something else on her mind. Something that seemed to be upsetting her.

He shook his head. It was probably nothing. "So, I was wondering if you were planning on going to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Elisa muttered, glancing at him.

"Yes. Because, if you were, I convinced the Sallows to form a small group with me and we're going to the Three Broomsticks. And what I was wondering was… would you like to join us?"

"Thank you for the offer, Max." She said carefully. "But I don't believe I'll be going anywhere tomorrow."

He frowned, concerned. "Oh?"

"It's nothing against you or the twins," She said, still cautious for a reason he didn't understand. "I just… don't feel like going anywhere."

They walked for a few minutes in silence, until Max broke it. "It's all right, Elisa. I was just offering."

She didn't respond, looking straight ahead down the corridor.

He studied her for a moment. Something seemed off about her, and he couldn't seem to put his finger on it. "Are you doing all right?"

She stiffened. "Why would I be?"

"It was just a question." Max attempted to defuse her defensive response. "You're acting a bit strange is all."

"Strange?" She said the word as if it were foreign to her. Confusing. "What's strange about my not wanting to go to Hogsmeade? I never go to Hogsmeade."

"I didn't say it was _that_." Max tried.

"Then what do you think is wrong with the way I'm acting?"

The question was a minefield, and sadly Max didn't see the trap he was falling into. "There's something off about you in general." He admitted honestly, as any person would. "You've been a bit… reserved as of late."

A single, dark eyebrow arched. "Reserved?"

He heard the hostility in her tone and hesitated. "You know what I meant."

"Do I?" She asked. "Because I didn't realize I was supposed to."

"Oh, don't be like that." He said. "All I wanted to do was invite you to get a hot chocolate with a group of mates."

"And all I want to do is say no." She snapped, and walked faster to go past him. It wasn't very difficult; she had longer legs.

Max watched her go ahead, the end of her robes dancing in the air behind her as she rushed forward and sighed deeply. Something was wrong with her, and he knew it. She seemed upset. Withdrawn. Abnormally stoic in situations where the specific emotion wasn't needed. She never raised her hand in classes that he'd seen, and that alone wasn't right. She always did, at least once. Or she was called on. But the teachers weren't calling on her. The only trouble now was what to do about it.

And he knew just the people to call in times of trouble such as what he was faced with.

Trouble makers.

* * *

Max slinked over to the Gryffindor table that night, seeking out – and finding rather quickly – Fred and George Weasley. They were surrounded by laughing people, as always, Lee Jordan at their side looking especially mischievous.

"Well, if it isn't good ol' Max!" Fred exclaimed upon seeming him. "I thought you all were sitting at the Ravenclaw table tonight. That's where Elisa went."

"And I'll go over in a second, but first I needed to talk to you and your brother." Max told him.

There must have been something in Max's face, something in his voice, that told them the matter was serious because George's attention was quickly grabbed as well and they easily dismissed themselves from the table.

They took a couple paces toward one of the incredibly high walls of the Great Hall so that they were out of hearing range of the table. "What is it you need?" George asked the Gryffinclaw.

Max hesitated. "Have you noticed something… different about Elisa?" He asked them carefully. He wondered if the entire situation was just in his head. Something that his mind had conjured with no explanation or evidence.

Until the twins traded identical concerned looks.

"We've noticed, sure." Fred said.

"Do you know why?" George inquired.

Max shook his head. "No, but… I was just hoping that maybe you could cheer her up. It's obviously something that happened over the break, but she hasn't told anyone."

"I suspect the teachers know." George put in.

"They're acting strangely around her." Fred reflected.

"But they would also need to know in order to give her those extra few days off from school before she came back." George added, and looked to Max. "Are you sure you don't know?"

"I haven't the faintest idea of what's going on. All I know is that it's probably bad." Max admitted, speaking slowly. He looked over toward the Ravenclaw table. "And she should be happy."

When the twins didn't respond, he looked back at them. They were grinning identical suggesting smirks.

Max rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"We haven't said anything." Fred said, feigning offense.

"You don't have to open your mouths to speak. You _think_ loud enough."

"Whoa, Fred, hanging out with the birdies has gotten him psychic. Without classes or anything!"

"Ugh, don't even bring up Divination, George." Fred said, rubbing a hand over his face. "That was a nightmare."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad." George disagreed. "All she did was predict my death for years in the future. We've all got to die sometime, mate." He punched his brother in the arm. "And you'd miss me."

"Terribly." Fred agreed.

"The worst part was that she kept getting our names wrong. Can you believe that?" George asked. "We should be impossible to confuse. We look entirely different!"

Max shook his head. "I'll see you guys some other time." He started to leave when Fred stopped him.

"Don't worry about Elisa, Max." He told him with a wink. "We've got it covered."

Max walked over to the Ravenclaw table, feeling better than he had before. When he sat down next to Elisa, she frowned at him. "What did you want with Fred and George?"

"Hm?" He inquired nonchalantly to give himself time to think of a response. "Oh, I was thinking about taking a Divination class next year. They've taken it before and I wanted their opinion."

"Oh." She seemed puzzled. "What did they say about it?"

He blinked at her for a moment. "Let's just say I've changed my mind. I am _not_ taking divination next year."

She smirked slightly. "They hated it?"

"The teacher was constantly swapping their names."

"And that had nothing, I'm sure, to do with the fact they swap them on their own all of the time?" Elisa questioned with a lifted brow.

Max feign surprise. "Of course not! They would never do something so bothersome."

Elisa's smirk stuck as she looked away, and waved at Jasper as he sat down across from them. Max considered a task accomplished.

* * *

A/N: Now we officially have the Weasley twins roped in. We'll be seeing more of them in the future, at least for a little while. I love writing them into scenes, but I'm not sure how well I write them. Unlike Severus Snape. He is _so_ incredibly difficult to write. I apologize if anything any of the established-in-original-universe characters do is OOC. I don't mean to do that.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** So we meet again... I'll respond to both your reviews in one go: It's totally okay! I'm just honored that you're reading it at all. Thank you for being so dedicated! Also, HERE'S MORE! And I hope you like my other stories if you do go and read them.


	20. Dreams Attach

A/N: I have returned! Also, you know how I mentioned at the beginning of November that this story would most likely be finished by the end of the month, but now we've hit the twenty-seventh and we still haven't gotten to the big climax? Yeah... it probably won't be finished by the thirtieth.

But on that note; TWENTY CHAPTERS! Wow, this is crazy. I've written _twenty chapters_ for this story. I'm shocked, really.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

Enjoy the ride! This first scene-sequence was actually my favorite to write so far...

* * *

"C'mon Elisa!" Fred pulled the novel right out of her hands and nearly dropped it in shock. " _Merlin_ , this is heavy."

Elisabeth Morgan frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

"It's Saturday. We're going to a place and doing a thing." George supplied, stepping up behind his brother.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because we can." Fred told her.

"Just because we can doesn't mean we should." Elisa held her hand out. "Now give me my book back."

"Sorry, Your Royal Highness, but we cannot complete such a negative act." Fred said, closing it with a solid _thwap_ that was loud enough to make a few other Gryffindors in their immediate vicinity flinch slightly.

"What's negative about letting a girl read a novel?" Elisa asked.

"When she needs to get out of the make believe story and make her own." George supplied easily. "Besides, it'll be fun."

"What will be fun?" Elisa asked.

"Hogsmeade of course!" Fred answered, pulling her to her feet gently.

Elisa frowned at them once more. "The groups have already left. We can't go on our own."

"Hm…" Fred tapped his chin with his index finger. "She's got a point, Forge."

"Now, don't seem so glum, Gred!" George replied, patting his shoulder. "We can always go another time."

They were silent then, so Elisa moved to sit down again.

"Wait!" Fred exclaimed, causing Elisa to freeze in her movements. "We're forgetting something. I know it's really important to this topic, but I just can't remember—brother, what is it?"

"Well…" George feigned intense thought, and Elisa could tell at this point that they were messing around. What the final result would be, she had no idea. So she waited with a skeptical look narrowed at the twins.

"Well, Fred, I think we forgot about the One-Eyed Witch!" George said rather suddenly.

Totally false and over-dramatized clarity made itself home on Fred's features. "The One-Eyed Witch! Of course!" He reached out and grabbed Elisabeth's hand. "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Elisa asked, lacking the strength to fight back at the moment.

"To the One-Eyed Witch, of course." George supplied, pushing her shoulder blades gently from behind to urge her out of the common room.

"Who is the One-Eyed Witch?" Elisa asked.

"I'm afraid you may have mistaken her for someone else, because it's not a _who_ exactly—" George mentioned from behind her.

"—it's a _what_!" Fred finished from in front, tugging her along.

At that moment, Elisa didn't feel like amending her statement to ask _what_ was the One-Eyed Witch, instead giving in to the fact she would find out eventually whether she wanted to or not.

Sure enough, they were in some random third-floor corridor that Elisa vaguely recalled seeing before, and a statue stood there; a hump-backed, one-eyed witch.

Elisa eyed it skeptically as Fred seemed to be vibrating with excitement as he turned to face her.

"This is it!" He gestured flamboyantly to the statue. "Point A!"

"Point… A?" Elisa asked.

"Well, of course it's point A!" George supplied, stepping around to stand in front of her as well. "You can't have a Point B without a Point A."

"Scandalous, the thought." Fred shivered.

"What's your Point B?" Elisa asked, crossing her arms.

George mirrored her, crossing his as well. "Don't be that way; we can share the points with you."

"What if I don't want them?"

"Don't return gifts to those who gave them to you. It's rude." George replied.

"Or at least that's what Mum told us last Christmas." Fred said, then tipped his head as he observed his brother. "Your impression needs work, George."

"Yeah, well, _you_ try to imitate that level of terrible, awe-inspiring admonition." George said with a dramatic shake of his fist in the air.

Elisa found herself beginning to smile.

"But now we are straying from the point—"

"—which is Point A—"

"—so let us return to the previous topic." George looked around, as if he were checking for prying eyes. But they were in the middle of a corridor. A wide, empty, echoing corridor. Obviously anyone could turn the corner at any second, but the ginger looked anyway before tip-toeing toward the back of the statue.

"Dissendium." The single word spoken caused the hump on the One-Eyed Witch's back to open, revealing a tiny opening only large enough for one rather thin person to fit through.

"Well, after you." George motioned to the hole.

Elisa realized rather suddenly after a few seconds that he had been talking to her. "Sorry?"

"You can go first, if you'd like." George rephrased the offer.

Her eyes widened. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, come on, Elisa! Like we said before; it will be fun!" Fred tried.

"Just the one passage way." George promised.

Elisa looked between the two tricksters, hesitating. "Where does it lead?"

"Honeydukes." Fred stated.

She narrowed her eyes. That was the sweet shop in Hogsmeade. Why did a passage lead from Hogwarts to a sweet shop in an all-wizarding town a few miles away? Better question; _how_ did a passage lead there?

But instead of asking those things, she only asked "That's all?"

"Would you prefer I go first?" Fred offered.

"To make sure I don't die or something?" She asked rhetorically. "Yes. I very much would."

Fred smirked and jumped through, as if he'd done it millions of times before. He disappeared from sight quickly. No, not disappeared. Dropped.

Her eyes widened. "Is that a hole?"

"Of course not." George said. "It's a slide. It will go down to the passage below and we'll take the passage to the cellar of Honeydukes."

She regarded him with heavier skepticism than before. "How do you even know about the existence of this?" Elisa nodded her head toward the statue.

George winked at her. "Information comes with the trade, Your Majesty."

"You two coming?" They heard faintly from the opening.

Elisa shifted her weight nervously and met George's eyes. There was a promise that he wouldn't let anything bad happen. At least… not anything too bad. Then they would get caught, right?

The Ravendor took a deep breath. Why not? She might learn something new, after all.

"Would you recommend feet or head first?" She asked.

He looked at her for a moment. "Feet would probably be more comfortable in landing, but you're also wearing a skirt, so… the decision is yours?" He offered.

Of course it was. Elisa sighed and did as her parents had always asked of her. Just experience it.

The slide was surprisingly smooth, she guessed it went somewhere below the castle grounds, actually managing to bypass being underneath the castle altogether with the odd shoot.

She came to an abrupt stop when met with the friction of the ground in the passage itself, having to spit her own hair out of her mouth as it swung into her face.

Fred helped her to her feet. "Welcome to the passage of Gunhilda de Gorsemoor." He told her, leading her deeper into it to clear the way for George, who landed solidly on the floor shortly after.

All three of them being rather tall, or at least not very short, they had to crouch down to not hit their heads on the ceiling of the passage. It was also dark. Very dark. This, however, did not stop Elisabeth from turning abruptly to face the Weasley who'd last spoken. "Gunhilda de Gorsemoor? As in the creator of the Dragon Pox cure?"

"Look at her, George." Fred praised.

His twin nodded. "Knows her history."

Elisa rolled her eyes. "We covered it briefly in History of Magic yesterday."

Fred's eyebrows lifted toward his hairline. "You actually stay awake during that class?"

"And not only that, but pay attention to what's being said?" George added.

They both made identical noises of amazement.

"But we are wasting daylight." Fred remarked, and his form shifted before he muttered " _Lumos_ " under his breath. A white light appeared at the tip of his wand, and Elisa squinted against the sudden illumination of the tiny passage.

"Lead on, squire." George motioned for Fred to take the lead.

And he did, throwing over his shoulder "Why am I a squire? Why not a knight?"

"A knight is honest, and true, and brave. He is, without a doubt, a lawful citizen." George responded.

Fred paused in reflection upon himself, it seemed. For he responded "Well, one out of four, I suppose."

"Not terrible, but you could do better." George agreed.

Fred paused once more. "What's better about being lawful?"

"Brilliant point."

Elisa laughed under her breath, and was going to ask which of the four when she recalled what house they were from. Gryffindor. He probably chose bravery.

Though as cunning as they were, she was personally amazed the twins didn't end up in Slytherin.

"Enjoying yourself yet, Milady?" George asked.

"Of course. My favorite pastime is waltzing through a cramped, short, underground passageway to illegally sneak off to a sweet shop. I can't believe you guessed it so easily." Her facetiousness was evident simply by context.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." George responded as if she'd meant every word.

Elisa then found herself grinning widely.

They walked for an immeasurable amount of time when Fred stopped. "Here we are!"

Relieved for the exit, when Elisa stepped out into the cellar she straightened her spine and looked at a conveniently placed clock on the wall. It had taken them nearly an hour to get there.

"Up we go, Your Majesty."

"Honestly, you two." Elisa shook her head. "You're kissing up."

"I do believe that would involve _actual_ kissing, and—"

"—as much as we love you—"

"—I don't think any of us are ready for that step."

"It would be sort of awkward." Fred agreed. "Let us take you out for dinner first, or something."

Their being suddenly uncomfortable made her laugh quietly under her breath as they lead her up the stairs and out into a colorful, loud, sweet-smelling shop filled to the seams with customers.

"Pick something." George told her.

"Anything, and it'll be on us." Fred agreed with a nod of his head.

Elisa frowned at them. "I couldn't."

"You could, actually. It's really easy." George said slowly. "Find something you like, bring it to us, we will pay for it."

She looked back and forth between them. "You're serious?"

"Never in our lives." George said.

"But we'll make this exception." Fred winked.

In the end, Elisa had chosen a small bag of Fudge Flies, and Fred purchased them without hesitation before handing them to her. Elisa opened the package and bit into one of the chocolates, the fudge filling practically melting in her mouth. "Thank you." She said earnestly.

George shook his head. "Consider it an offering for your services."

She grinned with the twins. "This is a bribery?"

"Of sorts." Fred admitted cautiously.

Elisa shook her head. "You're both insane."

"Glad you noticed." Fred told her.

"We do try our hardest." George added.

"But… why today? And why me?" Elisa couldn't help but ask this. They had friends beyond her. They had friends they'd had longer than her. So what were they doing buying her specifically a bag of Fudge Flies after leading her through a secret passage underneath Hogwarts?

Fred and George exchanged looks of contemplation. It was the latter who spoke. "We've noticed you've been rather sad as of late."

"We wanted to make you feel better." Fred nodded.

Elisa looked at the ground between them, nodding thoughtfully. "I appreciate the effort, boys. But this isn't something I'll just… recover from really quickly. It's… It's worse."

"Are _you_ all right?" George asked, and Elisa heard the worry in his voice and looked up sharply.

"Yes, I am. I'm not… I mean, I'm alive, and I'll still be alive for a long while. I'm okay." She said quickly.

"You were beginning to worry us there." George admitted.

"Still are, too be honest." Fred said quietly.

Elisa sighed. "I just really don't want to talk about it, and everybody seems determined to get me to through some sort of… passive-aggressive interrogation technique."

"We won't make you." The twins said in unison.

Elisabeth smiled at them. "I appreciate that. Could we… could we go back now?"

* * *

"Well, how did it go?" Max asked when he saw the twins standing in the courtyard upon the return of the students from Hogsmeade. "I saw you three in Honeydukes." He confessed.

The twins nodded, and shrugged. "She's not dying." Fred said.

"That's… great, but is she doing all right otherwise?" Max asked.

"We were discussing it and, to be honest, we don't think she is." Fred responded.

"But we think she will be." George added. "It's about something that happened over winter break."

" _What_ happened, though?" Max wanted to know.

"She said she didn't want to talk about it." George said. "And I know you're concerned, but maybe you should ask her yourself."

"I've tried that." Max said, instantly dismissive of the idea.

"Then try again." Fred snapped, and gave him a light prod in the forehead with his index finger. "Use that Ravenclaw brain you've been working all last term and talk to her."

Max frowned at them. "When did you get so…"

"Wise?"

"Philosophical?"

"Oh, big word, Fred."

"Thank you, George."

"I wasn't going to say that at all, but whatever makes you happy, I suppose." Max told them, and waved his hand in the air. "Thank you, by the way."

"Our pleasure!" The responded, in unison. And they each went their separate ways. Max, to go and try to warm up, Fred and George to go cause trouble somewhere, no doubt.

* * *

The next week, Elisa received a letter by owl.

She was in the middle of a conversation with Percy Weasley when the letter dropped directly between them, knocking over a salt shaker. Elisa seemed puzzled by its appearance, and she flipped the envelope over to read the name written on the front. It was from her mother.

George and Fred became aware of the arrival of this postage for a single reason, and that happened to be a sudden burst of flame at the Gryffindor table that was, for once, not caused by them. This was followed by Elisa standing abruptly and leaving the Great Hall by taking large and quick steps.

The twins traded looks, and moved toward where she'd been sitting. They spotted Percy.

"Oi, what happened?" Fred asked.

Percy rolled his eyes at the demand. "I don't know. She got a letter, read it, and then lit it on fire." He gestured at the small pile of ash on the table along with the large black streak. "We were discussing—"

"Did she say what was in it?" George intruded.

Percy glared at them for the interruption. "No. She didn't."

"Thanks for the help, Perce." Fred said, mildly sarcastic.

"Yeah, sure." Percy responded, just as sarcastically.

The twins then went to the Ravenclaw table, both approaching Max from behind and each firmly dropping a palm on one of his shoulders. He started, dropping his spoon right into his cereal. " _Blimey_!"

"Come with us, Mr. Johnson." They said in unison.

"But… breakfast!" Max was taken by surprise, sure, but he had priorities.

They leaned closer. "It's about Elisa."

The Griffinclaw was instantly on his feet. As previously stated; he had priorities.

The twins gave him a quick run-down of the situation, each telling him about the fire and Elisa stomping off. "I'd thought that was you two." Max admitted.

"That's probably why the teachers didn't react." Fred said with a smirk.

"Let's fetch Jasper."

"What?" George stopped Max. "Why?"

"Because he…" Max paused. "I don't know. It's Elisa. And he's a transfer with us."

"He doesn't know what's going on, though." Fred said.

George nodded. "And we'd have to explain everything we know this far—"

"Which would take loads of time we don't have."

"Right." Max licked his lips. "So, Amy then."

The twins stopped him again. "It's the same situation with Amy." George told him, though it was more of a guess as he didn't know how much Max talked about Elisa or with whom.

"Okay, fine." Max allowed. "So what do we do?"

" _You_ talk to her, of course!" They said in unison.

"You're her friend." Fred told him.

"So act like one." George finished.

Max looked between them. "I don't even know where she ran off to!"

Fred and George looked at each other as if locked in a silent debate. But it must have come to a conclusion, because they then instructed "Follow us."

* * *

Max couldn't believe it. They had a map of Hogwarts. No. Not just any map. It was a map of Hogwarts that was sentient. Or at least partially. And it could say exactly where everyone – students, professors, certain pesky care takers – happened to be at any given moment. It was an insanely complicated magical object. One unlike any other he had ever seen.

Professor Flitwick would have been so incredibly awed by its creators, no doubt. The Charms professor was always freaking out over that sort of thing.

And it – what had been named by its creators as the Marauder's Map – led them straight to Elisa.

She was sitting, slumped, in the corner of a random corridor on the second floor and half hidden by a suit of armor.

Max stood there silently for a moment, contemplating his plan of action, before Fred and George gave him a solid shove from behind and he stumbled her direction.

The Gryffinclaw turned to express his anger with them but they were nowhere to be seen. And when he looked back at Elisa, she was staring right at him.

"What do you want, Max?" She asked, her voice thick. That was when he realized she was crying. Or at least had been.

And Max was way out of his depth. He didn't even know what to do when his younger sister cried over a broken toy. He was hopeless.

"Er… I wanted to know if you were okay. The… well, the twins came and said—"

"I'm fine. You can leave." She cut him off.

She wasn't wrong. He could leave. He could accept her answer and go back to his breakfast.

But he didn't.

Instead, Max lowered himself to the ground in front of her, pulling at his robes so he didn't sit on them.

She scowled at him. "You're not leaving."

"And you're not fine." He countered. "What's wrong?"

Elisa crossed her arms, and opened her mouth to answer, but Max stopped her.

"Don't lie." He suggested. "It's much easier to help you if you don't lie. And then I can leave faster because we don't have to take the long way to the truth."

She hesitated. "I got a letter."

"Yeah, that's what I heard." Max mentioned.

Elisa sighed. "It was from my mother. Peter's died."

He frowned. "Who's Peter?"

"My cat."

Max didn't know how to respond, so he said nothing.

"I took him home during winter break and decided to leave him because he's old. And he wasn't doing very well. I knew it would happen eventually but _now_ …" She trailed off, looking near tears again. "Did… did anyone notice the fire?"

"I think everyone thought it was Fred or George." Max told her as he contemplated her words. He had a feeling the outburst wasn't only because of her cat. Though, he was sure it was part of it.

She shook her head. "I just… I got angry. I shouldn't have but I did."

They were quiet for a while, neither really knowing how to continue the conversation, or whether or not they wanted to at all.

Eventually it was Max who spoke. "Are you going to be all right?"

She huffed, and gave him a sad smile. "Yes. Probably."

"Your confidence is overwhelming." His sarcastic words were laced with concern.

"I just… I don't want to deal with people today." She admitted.

"Then don't deal with people today?" He offered uncertainly.

She rolled her eyes. "That's impossible. There are classes to go to, you know."

"Right." He nodded, and then squinted his eyes at her. "You know—"

"I'm not skipping." She told him.

He whistled, impressed. "And the twins thought _I_ was the mind reader."

"Which twins?" She asked.

Max shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"What class do you have first?" She asked.

Max thought about it for a moment. "Joined Charms with Gryffindor." He smiled. "Hey, that means you're in my class."

"Wow, you're a genius."

"Was that sarcasm? Genuine sarcasm?" Max asked, grinning.

Elisa looked away to try and hide her own smile. "Of course not."

Catching the facetiousness her response possessed, he looked to the ceiling. "Oh, now you're just being ridiculous."

She laughed a little under her breath. "If we don't go now, we'll probably be late."

"Yeah, good point." Max stood and offered her his hand. She took it gratefully and he pulled her to her feet. They then straightened their robes of alternating colors.

He hesitated to move. "Are you sure you'll be all right."

She took a deep breath. "You said not to lie?" At his nervous nod, she smiled slightly. "No, I'm not sure. But who's really sure of anything?"

* * *

A/N: See what I mean? A long way to go. But that's fine with me!

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **Tsukiyomi-Hio:** Well, I'm glad you like Elisa, because she was the main focus of this chapter! Thank you so much for the compliment of my writing, and your review!

 **Guest (11-23):** UPDATE. BOOM.


	21. Start from Scratch

A/N: End of November (nearly) and another chapter. Just to let you know, once December kicks in, I won't be updating nearly as often. Other things need to take priority and, well, there are holidays, too. Also, as of this chapter, I reached my 50,000 word goal for the month of November! National Novel Writing Month was a complete success! Thank you for reading this, everyone. And thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed this story. I really appreciate it.

Also thank you to all of the support I've gotten from my friends who read this. (I love you guys)

But on with the story! I hope you enjoy this, and my _Lord of the Rings_ reference. Pippin is one of my most favorite characters.

* * *

Max approached the door of the Ravenclaw common room and tried to prepare myself mentally to solve the riddle. They weren't always incredibly difficult, but they were always challenging. As was the purpose of the riddling door outside of the common room. In his personal opinion, though, he used enough brain power during the day as it was. The only thing that he believed the door helped him with was it increased his ability to think in abstract ways to solve the riddles given to him.

But after a long evening of studying with his other transfers, he was worn out. His brain was fried. That is to say he couldn't think properly.

When he came to stand in front of the door, he heard the riddle: "Most people need it, some ask for it, some give it, but almost nobody takes it."

It was one of those _What am I?_ riddles. Normally he didn't mind them. They could be fun sometimes. But that night… that night, he despised it.

"Er… um…" He scratched his scalp, his brain moving as quickly as dripping cake batter. "The answer to this riddle?"

No response from the door.

He sighed, and thought some more. What was something most people needed? Something that some people asked for? Something that some people give away? But, at the same time, almost nobody takes?

Nearly twenty minutes later, Max still had no answer. He'd slid down to sit next to the wall by then. It was late enough that he was sure everyone was already inside of the common room by then. No one would just come along and open the door for him.

"You know what I'm asking for right now, that some people would give, and I would most certainly take?" He asked the solid face of the door. After a few seconds of no response, he tipped his head. "You're terrible at riddles, mate." He realized suddenly that he was projecting onto this plank of wood blocking his way and sighed deeply. "The answer is the answer to your stupid riddle."

Max frowned. "Can you repeat it?" For the hundredth time?

"Most people need it, some ask for it, some give it, but almost nobody takes it." The door repeated.

"Death?" He asked moribidly, his voice dry.

Nothing.

"Bananas?" He had to make sure.

Nope.

"Time?"

Still nothing.

"Party hats?"

This time when there was no response, the Griffinclaw exhaled deeply in frustration and slumped further down the wall, throwing his arm over his eyes. He was just _so_ tired.

Then he heard footsteps. Filling with hope, Max launched to his feet just in time to see a little girl come around the corner. He recognized her vaguely.

Her blonde hair was long, nearly past her waist, and in her hair was a rainbow headband that was gaudily covered in glitter of the same colors. A first year, too.

He sighed, most of his hope crushed. If he couldn't get it, how likely was it that this First-Year could? "Hello. What are you doing out so late?"

She smiled at him, her big eyes incredibly wide. "Hello, Max. I had to find my shoes." Her voice was airy, as if halfway into a dream. "How are you?"

"I can't figure out the riddle." He admitted, unable to contemplate how she would have lost her shoes in the first place.

The first-year nodded slowly. "What is it?"

Max stayed silent as the door easily answered her question, repeating the exact lines it gave the Gryffinclaw.

The girl stayed silent for a long moment, and Max tried not to distract her, hoping she would get the answer. The chance of that was low, but he still held onto some tiny sliver of hope.

"Oh, I'm Luna, by the way." Her voice peeped up unexpectedly. "Luna Lovegood."

Max nodded his head. "Max Johnson."

"You were a Gryffindor."

"Yup." Max answered shortly, wanting to go to bed.

"How are you liking Ravenclaw?"

"Oh, it wouldn't be all that terrible, if I could just get into the common room." He said, bitterly in the direction of the portal.

Luna smirked slightly. "Advice."

"What about it?" Max asked, just as the door suddenly swung open.

He stared at it with incomprehension.

"Most people need advice. Some ask for it. Some give it. But almost nobody takes it." Luna passed him on her way into the common room. Max hurried after her.

"Thank you." He said, earnestly.

Luna smiled. "No problem. Would you like some advice?" She asked.

Max was skeptical, but tried not to show it, giving her an easy smile. "Sure."

"The door accepts honesty as an answer." She said. "Oh! And don't forget to wash behind your ears."

Unsure of what to do with what she'd said or the advice given, he only continued to smile. "Thanks."

"Any time." She responded, before skipping away.

* * *

Jasper kept his arms wrapped firmly around his torso, keeping his robe folded over himself carefully. It was free time on a Friday, so Elisa wouldn't be busy. Or he hoped not, at least.

Sure enough, he found her in what seemed to be her favorite spot on the grounds. A fourth-floor corridor that had window seats along a single wall. The high windows allowed a mostly-uninterrupted view of the Hogwarts grounds, which were currently covered in snow.

He sat next to her, and she looked up from her Charms textbook carefully. "What can I do for you?"

Jasper hesitated, but a squirming on his chest urged him on. "Johnson mentioned that your cat died."

Elisa sighed deeply. "I'm fine."

"I know, but I figured you might like something to – agh! Okay!" Jasper opened his arms as if to recoil from something and out of his robes jumped a tiny creature.

But it wasn't just any creature.

It was a kitten.

Elisa smiled broadly. "Aw, it's _so_ cute!"

"That little demon isn't _cute_. It's a monster of evil." Jasper said, checking his arms for scratches.

"Most cats don't like being in enclosed spaces, Jasper." Elisa told him.

He shook his head. "No, you don't understand. She's three-fourths Kneazle."

"How could she be three-fourths Kneazle?" She asked.

"Oh, you know. Mother a Kneazle, father a half-cat-half-Kneazle. That kitten is a spawn of demons." Jasper said.

Elisa scoffed, and lifted the grey fuzz-ball that was probably about a month old from her estimations. The thing had extra-pointed ears, and extra, longer hair at the end of its tail, trade-marks of the Kneazle heritage Jasper spoke of. "Then why did you bring her to me?"

"Would you like to keep her?" He asked.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, Jasper, I couldn't."

"Oh yes you could." He disagreed. "Just take her. I don't want her. In fact, I would much rather not have her."

She frowned. "That's mean."

"So is she." Jasper mentioned.

Elisa shook her head and snuggled the kitten to her face. "She's so precious."

The animal released what Jasper could only see as the most adorable _mew_ he'd ever heard and he glared at it. "That's right. You pretend you're perfect so she'll take you."

Elisa chuckled under her breath. "Does she have a name?"

"Demon-Spawn." He responded seriously.

"Beside that."

"Creation-Of-Darkness. Destroyer-Of-Happiness. Consumer-Of-All-That-Is-Good-And-Homework." He listed off the names as if pre-contemplated. "Honestly, Morgan, I don't want her. Please take her off of my hands."

Elisa scrutinized him for a moment. "You drive a hard bargain, but I'll accept."

"Will you take her now?" Jasper asked.

Elisa thought for a moment. "You know, I could. Do you have a bed for her?"

"Yes, I do. But she doesn't sleep in it much." He admitted. "Just sort of… tears it to pieces."

She smiled at the mental image his words conjured. "You make her sound like trouble."

"That's because she is trouble."

"Then I'll call her Peregrin." Elisa decided. "And her nickname will be Pippin."

Jasper frowned. "What after?"

"A fool of a Took." Elisa said with a smirk. "He's a character that normally causes trouble."

Vaguely, Jasper wondered from which of her novels she'd chosen that from. "Then the name fits soundly."

They were silent for a moment, Elisa petting the cat and it beginning to purr loudly. "You know, Jasper, it would be easier for you to give her away if you didn't point out all of the supposedly negative things about her."

"I'm just being honest and laying all of the cards out on the table." He defended. "You should know what you're getting yourself into. You have the right to be warned."

"If only everything in life was that way." She said, suddenly melancholy. "Had big warning labels."

Jasper nodded slowly. "If only. But then, of course, you would lose half of the fun of discovery."

This seemed to strike Elisa as surprising to hear, because she looked up and met Jasper's eyes for a moment before looking out of the window, going deeply into thought. The Slytherpuff had never considered his words very thought provoking, but perhaps what he'd said was what she'd needed to hear.

* * *

"Again."

 _Crack!_ The sound of ceramic cups breaking seemed endless in Amelia's mind.

"You only cracked it." Professor Snape said.

The repetition was killing the muscles in her arm, but she ignored the burning pain. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize. Do better." He flicked his wand and repaired the cup for the hundredth time with a silent _Reparo_. "Try again."

Amy took a deep breath, and moved her wand in the sideways V-formation the spell required, whispering the spell in her mind; _Reducto_.

With another sharp crack, a piece of the cup flew off, but the cup still hadn't smashed itself yet.

The professor repaired it. "Again."

 _Crack!_ Only a spider's web line through the clay. She was beginning to get frustrated now. And so, it seemed, was Professor Snape. If his tone was anything to go by. With a violent swish of his wand, the cup sealed its own cracks. "Again."

Amy's bicep hurt. She'd been holding her wand up for nearly half an hour without letting it down once. Not forever, sure. But it was a long while when you added in the mental effort put into each cast of a spell. She was angry at herself for still not getting it right.

"Did you hear me, Ms. Ross?" Professor Snape broke through her train of thought. "Do it again." He spoke slowly, annunciating each word as if he didn't believe she would understand them.

She was frustrated with herself, and now angry with her professor, and wanted so badly to not only smash that cup but demolish it completely. Until it was nothing. Her wrist completed the required movement as if of its own free will, and suddenly a different noise filled her ears. _Smash!_ The cup exploded into fine dust, disintegrated with the flash of blue that came with the spell.

Amy was breathing heavily through her nose, still heavily angered by how long it had taken her and how difficult getting it correct had been. And had she even gotten it correct? Was the cup supposed to do that?

She realized then that Professor Snape hadn't repaired the cup so she could do the task another time. Maybe he couldn't, due to its form as powder.

Amelia looked past her still-lifted arm at the Potions master. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression. She stared back, still fired by the fury of repeated failure.

"I believe… we are done for the day." Professor Snape told her slowly. "Put your wand away."

She did as he asked of her. "Are you going to fix the cup?" The question came to her lips without bidding, and she inwardly wondered why she cared.

He continued to stare at her. "Why fix something that isn't worth repairing?" He asked instead. "I'll see you in Potions this evening. Leave."

Amy frowned at him, but didn't hesitate to walk out of the classroom without another word.

Severus found that alone odd. Amelia Ross always said goodbye. Or at least some sort of cheesy word of parting that gave either a positive note or left Snape wanting to roll his eyes. Or both. This time, his student simply left.

He again looked to where the dust of the pottery was beginning to settle on the table. At least she hadn't missed. But Ross must have been getting increasingly frustrated as the time passed, but still willing to continue to try. Until that sudden burst of fury that fueled the last spell. It was the Reductor Curse, as he'd directed, but in an incredibly potent form.

Children with magic had nothing but raw power when in an emotional state. The issue is trying to urge that magic into a proper use while the student was not a mess of emotions that lead them out of control. Keeping a child in control of the sort of power that was magic seemed to be Severus's job. All of the time. Every day. It's basically what he was being paid to do.

It was what all of the instructors at Hogwarts were being paid to do. And, of course, he disliked the _children_ aspect of this profession. Though that couldn't really be helped at this point.

He sighed deeply, and muttered " _Tergeo_ ," to remove the powder of clay from the surface of the table, vanishing it seconds later. An easy mess to be cleaned, at least. Though it was of increasing concern that Amelia Ross was growing frustrated with the spells he directed her in.

Perhaps it was just the day. Last week, she'd been just like normal. He would give it next week, and see if anything had changed. Because if it had, than he could consider this abnormal before as a fluke. A simple disturbance of pattern that, while leaving him confused, was entirely harmless.

Of course it was harmless.

* * *

"Amy, are you okay?" Max asked when she sat down for supper at the Hufflepuff table. She looked frustrated with something, her brow set as if she were frowning.

"Yes." She responded simply, using the ladle provided at the table to serve herself some of the soup, filling her bowl around half-way. "Where are the others?"

"They'll be here, soon." Max told her hesitantly, still trying to figure out what was wrong. Why did things seem to be wrong with both Amy and Elisa? He could barely handle one girl and her secret emotions, let alone two. How was he going to look after them?

"You know, Max," Amy began, he voice betraying her apparent irritation. "I've about had it."

"About had what?" He asked.

"Honestly, I thought maybe I could do it, but I really think it's too hard."

The sentence failed to clarify anything for Max. "What's too hard?"

"That… that ridiculous class." She finally decided on the wording of her answer. "I don't want to do it anymore."

So it was the classic opinion of _this_ _class is stupid and I don't care about it_ situation? He'd barely hit that, and he was older than her. Wasn't she a little young to be feeling that way toward schoolwork? The want to learn should still be ever-present in kids her age. _Wow_ , he thought, _hearing me think, someone would guess I'm an adult. Or at least older than her by more than a year._

"What class are we talking about?" He asked.

"My extra credit class with Professor Snape."

"Oh, they're giving you extra credit? That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, it would be. If it wasn't so absolutely, excruciatingly frustrating." She confessed, dropping her spoon into her soup without eating what was on it.

He recalled her mentioning before that the spells they were working on were difficult to completely non-verbally. "What spell are you having trouble with?"

"The Reductor Curse." She admitted. "And, well, technically I got it in the end."

"You did?" Max was honestly surprised.

"The cup we were using sort of… disintegrated. Does the Reductor Curse do that? Disintegrate things?" She asked uncertainly.

The Griffinclaw shrugged, leaning forward against the table. "It can, I suppose. That would make sense." He hesitated. "What did Snape say?"

"He just told me that we were done and that I could leave." Amy answered, the frustration leaking out of her to be replaced by a dejected expression. "I just… I don't know what's right and what's wrong."

"And Snape certainly won't tell you." Max agreed with a nod of his head. "Not his style."

A Hufflepuff passed behind Amy, and greeted them. Both transfers waved with smiles, not bothering to respond verbally as the student clad in yellow continued to walk to the other end of the table.

The smile melted from Amy's face as she returned her attention to the bowl in front of her.

Max gave her a sympathetic look. Professor Snape seemed to really hate Gryffindors, so he'd never really seen a very positive side of the Potions master. Then again, was there actually a positive side to see?

"You did correctly finish the spell, though, didn't you?" Max asked. "You broke the cup?"

"Well… yes." She confirmed.

"Then there you go! Success to Amelia Ross!" Max stated exuberantly. "Be happy about it, because you're doing great." He nudged her arm gently, and she smirked slightly.

"When did you get so positive?" She asked him.

He scoffed. "I've always been positive." Then he cast a glance around the table. "Though, honestly, I think it's because we're sitting at the Hufflepuff table."

Amy laughed. "You make it sound like optimism is contagious or something."

Max smirked at the evidence of her mood lightening. "That's because I legitimately think it is. You just have to be around it long enough."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for reading! I'll try to update this story once a week, but it may have to extend to once every two weeks, because finals are coming up. Just around the corner. I'm obviously so excited. And that last sentence was completely sarcastic.

I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, though!

Catch you later...


	22. Feelings to Patch

A/N: Short version, I'm not dead. Sorry for the delay, but life happened. Exams and then a trip. I'm visiting a friend at the moment, actually, so I'm not home. Though that really wouldn't make much difference to you, the reader... Anyway, here I am, with another chapter. I do have to apologize for this one, though, as it's a bit of a downer near the beginning. I'm so mean to these characters... But I hope you enjoy anyway and stick around for the next chapter.

Reviewer Response at the bottom! Thank you all so much for reading, and on with the show!

* * *

Elisa stared at the box in her lap, wrapped tightly in brown paper, and her name written on the top in her mother's handwriting. She made no move to open it, pondering the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. At least it was relatively quiet in her immediate vicinity, as most of those students who enjoyed the still-massive amount of snow were outside on that sunny Sunday afternoon.

The doors to the Gryffindor common room opened and there was a loud laugh to her left before it faded next to a pause of footsteps. Then, suddenly, she was approached.

"Hello, milady." George Weasley suddenly poked around into her field of vision.

"Greetings from your worshipers." Fred teased.

They both sat down on the sofa across from her in synchronicity.

She nodded her head. "Hello."

"What's in the box?" Fred asked.

"I don't know." She admitted, looking back at the object in question.

"I hope you're not planning on incinerating that as well." Fred teased some about her previously vibrant reaction to post which had been her lighting a letter on fire and received a sharp elbow from his twin.

Elisa shook her head. "That was a rash action on frustration. I was upset. But I won't do it again."

"Aw, I was hoping to see it this time," Fred admitted.

The Ravendor smirked, before looking back at the package on her lap.

"Who'd you get the box from?" George asked.

"Well… my mum." She admitted slowly.

"Why would your mum have sent you a package?"

"You two are incredibly curious today, aren't you?" Elisa said with mild amusement.

Fred shrugged. "If you aren't curious, you won't learn anything new. You're a Ravenclaw, you know that."

Elisa conceded the point and answered. "My birthday is in five days."

" _Friday_?" Both twins practically shrieked at once.

"This is so short notice!" Fred exclaimed.

"How will we _ever_ get a present in time?" George agreed.

"My lady, this is _most_ unfortunate," Fred said now to her.

"We must apologize for our lack of preparedness of some sort of offering to gift to you in order to appease you on your day of birth."

"Honestly, we're idiots."

"Indeed, Gred."

"Would you two relax?" Elisa cut in, smiling slightly. "I don't want presents."

Fred and George both wore identically offended expressions. "Why on Earth not?" They asked in unison.

Elisa shrugged. "What's the point?"

"How old will you be?" George wanted to know.

"Fourteen."

" _Fourteen_!" They shrieked again.

"Blimey, Fred, she'll be fourteen!"

Fred faked a sad face and wiped a phantom tear from under his eye. "They grow up so fast."

"You two are ridiculous," Elisa noted, tossing one of the several throw pillows on the couch in their direction.

George snatched it out of the air just before it hit him in the face. "Thank you."

Fred nodded. "But seriously, what's in the box?"

Elisa set it off to the side, suddenly sobered by the mention of the package. "I'd rather not open it right now."

George tipped his head. "You actually _do_ know what's in it, don't you?"

She shrugged and rubbed her arms. "I know that it's my present. And I know that my mum sent it to me. And I know that I really don't want to open it right now. Because I know what's in it and I don't want to see it."

To say Elisa was shocked by her own honesty would have been understating things. She looked up sharply to meet the eyes of the twins. What was it about being around Gryffindors that made her so incredibly willing to open up to them? What about being in their company made her feel brave enough to say what was on her mind without hesitation?

And then she caught exactly what she'd asked herself. What made her _brave_ enough?

She sighed deeply, almost unable to inhale again due to the sudden tightness in her throat.

"You really don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Fred said. "Say the word and we'll change the subject to something else."

"I just want you to understand that it isn't you." She told them. "I'm very happy being here, and I really want you to get that."

"We do," George told her.

"Good." She responded, looking away. At the box.

There was a pause. "You'll never know unless you open it," George told her softly.

Elisa nodded her head, and grabbed the package, pulling it back onto her lap. She then took a deep breath and pulled at the paper with shaking hands before opening the box before frowning at its contents. Inside was another box. And on top was a letter.

She lifted the blank envelope and noticed that it was muggle stationary. She tore it open and pulled out the folded paper inside.

" _My dear Elisabeth,_

 _Merry Christmas, and happy birthday! I'm so thankful I have you as my daughter. Every experience has been truly magical._

 _Love, Dad_ "

As she read the note, she reached a hand up to cover her mouth in shock of the sudden wave of sadness as tears began to blur her vision. A tight hand clenched around her heart and pulled at her throat. Why did it hurt so much?

"Elisa?" The soft voice made her look up at its source.

The twins looked worried.

She wiped her eyes forcefully with the sleeve of her robe and cleared her throat. "Sorry, it's just… It's from my father. And he…"

She couldn't help the slow crumble she had into sadness as she looked back at the smiley face drawn next to the word _magical_. "He…" She sniffed and imagined him sitting at the dining table, writing the note. Imagined her mother walking in on him as he tucked it into an empty envelope and smiled broadly at her.

"He's…" Walking through the barrier on her first day of school, and being in awe of the train as it pulled up. That Christmas, asking to see something she'd learned to do. Anything. And his absolutely unbridled joy upon seeing the cubes of sugar dancing in the air, even though he'd seen Elisa's mother do the exact same thing millions of times before. Because this time it had been his daughter.

Every joke. Every terrible pun she'd groaned at but been secretly amused by. Every trip to the hospital where he spent the entire time making paper airplanes to let her throw out of the window until they got caught.

And then Elisa had learned to make them fly inside. Without air. Just magic.

It all came to her. It all flew through her head. It all made her ache inside. Because they'd been such happy memories.

And she'd never be able to make another one.

Now the tears came and she couldn't stop them. Her throat burned, and her cheeks were hot. The box was removed from her lap, but she didn't care. She clung to the letter tightly, not ever wanting to let go. She'd had to let go of him once already. She didn't think she could do it again.

There were arms around her. People pressed firmly against both sides of her. She wanted to push away from them, but she was so tired. So tired of dealing with everything that was happening around her. Her father and then her cat. That stupid cat.

So she let them stay, and she cried.

When the tears finally stopped, it wasn't because she'd stopped them. She just slowly realized that she couldn't cry anymore. And when that happened, she stayed still a moment, unable to take an even breath yet.

And she became aware of who was next to her. Who it was supporting her.

She didn't move but looked at the two sets of arms wrapped around her and sniffed. "Sorry."

"There's no reason to be." Said a voice from her left, his head resting on top of hers.

They were quiet for a little while longer.

"He died two days before this last Christmas." She whispered. They deserved an explanation.

There was a deep sigh from her right. "And you've received a package with a letter."

"They're going through his things this week. I sent my mum a list of things I demand we keep, and she replied that she would be sending me something she found in their closet." Elisa smiled sadly, her voice trembling. "And apparently he'd gotten me a birthday present."

They slowly released her, and the one on her left, she now identified as Fred, patted the top of her head, rustling her hair a bit. She smirked at the gesture.

"Are you going to wait until Friday to open the gift?" George asked.

Elisa shrugged tiredly with one shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably." She nodded. "Yeah."

"You are very decisive," Fred said sarcastically.

"And you are very… wet." She caught sight of the sleeve of Fred's robe and grimaced. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize." He told her. "It's only tears. I've definitely had worse on this robe than tears."

"Ew, gross." She pulled away from him with a small laugh.

He rose to defend himself. "It was—"

"No." She interrupted him quickly. "I don't want to know."

"But—"

"I do not want to know, Fred Weasley," Elisa said firmly, still grinning. "Just tell me you've washed it since then."

There was a long pause. Elisa laughed, sure that they were just teasing her and trying to gross her out with the possibility he hadn't. And then she distinctly realized that they hadn't laughed with her, and she stood abruptly. "That's disgusting!"

Now the boys laughed, and she rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips with a shake of her head. Boys. They could be so ridiculous.

* * *

The first thing Jasper heard upon Elisa's entry in the library on Friday was Amy's excited greeting.

"Happy Birthday, Elisa!" The Hufflyn told her.

She smiled sadly. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I didn't say it earlier than now," Amy told her earnestly. Jasper had been lucky enough to run into the Ravendor earlier that day around lunch and had gotten the chance to tell her then.

Elisa shook her head. "Amy, you haven't seen me before now."

"Oh, right." The younger girl grinned sheepishly, but her expression quickly fell. "I don't have anything to give you."

Elisa looked at Jasper hopelessly, and he shrugged, having no idea how to help the situation.

"Of course you do," Elisa spoke slowly as if actively searching for the words as she said them. "You could give me… a hug."

Amy frowned. "A hug?"

"Sure!"

"That's all you want?"

"Why not?"

Amy grinned widely, and jumped forward, wrapping the other girl tightly in her arms.

Elisa smiled slightly, and embraced the blonde back, seeming to enjoy the contact intently.

When they split apart, they sat.

Elisa looked around their table. "Where's Max?"

"Not here yet," Jasper admitted. "He said something about helping with some sort of test?"

The students frowned at each other.

It was a few minutes later when Max finally entered the scene, looking a little worse for wear.

"Are you all right?" Amy asked him.

Max dropped into a chair and sighed. "I left it to them. Sorry I'm late."

"Left it to who?" Elisa asked.

"Janna and James." He responded.

"The Sallow twins?" Elisa smirked. "They finally talked you into helping them?"

"No." Max denied quickly, crossing his arms in defense. "I'm letting them borrow my… pet."

"Your pet?" Jasper checked.

Max shifted in his seat. "Yes. This isn't about that, though. Let's get on with this meeting, okay? Go on." He made a shooing motion with his hands.

Elisabeth Morgan cleared her throat, gaining their attention. She looked… nervous. And upset.

"Elisa?" Max leaned forward in his seat.

She licked her lips before parting them. "My… my father died over winter break."

Elisa spoke monotonously as if hoping that would lighten the blow of her words. It didn't.

Amy looked heartbroken. "Oh, Elisa."

Jasper felt all of the color run from his face. No wonder the Ravendor had been on edge. She was certainly upset for a reason, then. More reason than her cat. That also explained why she came back to Hogwarts late. And why all of the teachers were walking on eggshells around her.

"Are you going to be all right?" Max asked, genuinely concerned.

Elisa nodded. "Of course, eventually. I just figured you all ought to know."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Amy asked, but there was no accusation in her voice. "I could have given you loads more hugs."

Elisa smiled. "That's very kind of you. I just… didn't feel like talking about it."

"That seems perfectly reasonable to me." Jasper found himself saying. He met her eyes then. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

She nodded in response.

He decided to take it as honesty, even though he wasn't sure he wanted to; but if he couldn't trust the students sitting around that table, then who could he?

"Let's talk about something else now, though, okay? Any experiences someone wants to share?" Elisa asked abruptly.

Amy raised her hand, and Elisa pointed in an over-dramatic, comical way in her direction to signal she had been called upon. The Hufflyn laughed and began to talk about yet another experience she'd shared with Lynne or Vincent in that last week. One that had apparently only happened that morning. All three of them had sat together at breakfast.

This was a gigantic step in what Jasper saw as the correct direction. Something about Amy being in that house was forcing a change. A good change, as far as their present situation revealed. Maybe it could continue to be that way. Positive.

* * *

Max hadn't been at breakfast.

This alone was worrisome; the Griffinclaw never missed a meal. But Amy hadn't noticed a distinct lack of him that Monday morning. Or maybe he had been there but she hadn't seen him. It was bound to happen at least once. The Great Hall was massive, and there were a lot of other students, and she wasn't particularly tall.

She just hoped he was okay.

Amy's silent trudge in a first-floor corridor was halted by the small shape just to her right. The dark-brown tip of its tail swung out from behind a small statue. She frowned, tipping her head, and approached it slowly.

As soon as she poked her head around the statue to look at the creature, she gasped softly. "Oh, you're _so_ cute!"

There, curled into a loose ball, was a long, lightly-colored ferret. On its side was a single patch of the same dark fur that covered the tip of its tail. Amelia knelt on the ground and patted her thighs gently. "Come?" She whispered softly, curious if it was trained.

The adorable thing blinked its eyes at her, sniffing the air for a moment, before slowly creeping toward her. She held out her hand, and rather quickly the ferret leaped into her lap.

" _Merlin_!" She squealed in surprise, and the creature froze in its movement, looking up at her.

Amy frowned. "That's not your name, is it? Merlin? No one would have named you after _Merlin_."

The ferret looked at her curiously, as if in sarcastic awe of the fact that she'd expected it to respond.

Amy sighed. "Well, I'll call you Merlin if you'd like." She stroked its well-groomed fur gently, and it leaned into her fingers. "Do you have an owner, Merlin? You know… you really shouldn't be walking about here so carelessly. I know some first years that would play with you."

She realized there was no terror in the creature, and emphasized her point. "Not the sort of playing you would probably enjoy. More likely a form of ferret torture."

Still no terror.

She sighed. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"

No, never mind, there was an acknowledgment of _those_ words in the form of offense.

Amy shook her head. "Well, I guess I could take you…" She trailed off, her face falling into a sad expression as her mind brought up the circumstances of losing her last pet.

Poor Pasco.

For a moment, she sat in silence as she thought of the little frog that was nearly free. The only problem was that he'd been in her room when he'd been attacked. Her incredibly short list of possible alternate options zoomed around in her head.

Then the ferret got restless and began an odd pattern of running in circles on her legs.

"Whoa, hold on – All right!" She lifted it by its thin, long torso off of her lap. "I'll take you with me, but I don't know where. And I'll need to figure out how to care for you because I don't have the foggiest idea of how." She told it firmly. "I'll need to go to the library now."

She frowned. "Will they even _have_ any books on muggle animals?"

Well, where else could she look for that information?

Suddenly a thought struck her as she stared into the ferret's eyes. "Max!" She exclaimed.

Amy recalled something from the very first meeting of the transfer students and realized it had been so long ago. Months now. But at that meeting, Max had mentioned that the Sallow's sound experiment had scared his ferret. Which meant...

"I could ask Max!"

* * *

A/N: Told you so. Sort of sad. Mostly depressing. Pretend like it wasn't though. Read a previous chapter if you must. Or something else while you wait for something happier. Sad stories make me sad... Moving on.

Thank you so much for reading this, and I really hope you liked it! I'll try to post again before the New Year, but I can't guarantee anything as I have no idea how my schedule will look. I hope you all have a safe holiday, and Merry Christmas, if that is indeed a thing you celebrate!

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvior21:** I'm very happy that you're still enjoying this, and thank you so much for your frequent reviews! It seems to remind me that people are reading this that I don't know in person... it's both terrifying and exhilarating. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Catch you later!


	23. Plotting Patch

A/N: *waves uncertainly* Hi, guys... I am so sorry it's taken this long to update. The Christmas season was harder on me than I thought it would be, and then there was the end of the semester (because I'm still in Highschool. Duel enrollment, if you're trying to piece together how I had exams in December anyway). And on Monday I caught a bug that I can't shake. Probably the flu. But I will live! And I will write! However, this chapter isn't any longer than my other ones, so I can't say you got very much for your trouble... sorry about that.

Disclaimer: I still don't have an editor of any kind, and I'm American. And I wrote this chapter while stuffed full of medicine... so that is my excuse for any mistakes. Sorry about them, anyway. This is barely edited.

Review Response at the bottom!

 **IMPORTANT NOTE:** I realized, when trying to gain inspiration to write more, that I skipped a very important part of the story; Elisa's birthday. I brushed upon it, but I didn't say anything about her present from her father or what the Weasley twins did for her birthday. So we're jumping back for this chapter, and the next one will move forward in the story. Enjoy!

* * *

It didn't feel like anything special. Not that year. When she, somehow subconsciously, was constantly aware of his absence, it wasn't special. It was just as painful as the days before it. Perhaps even more intensely so, as it was the marking of one event of many that would continue to pass without him. As if he wasn't significant to the world.

Elisa sighed deeply and sank deeper into her chair. Everybody had been unintentionally kind enough to treat it as any other day, with the exception of her fellow transfers. They wished her happy birthday and reacted better than she could have hoped when she told them about what had happened over winter break. There were no dramatic displays of pity or confused expressions. They excepted it as fact, and the meeting continued on as normal. The day was... normal. Until after supper, at least. When the meal concluded, Elisa had walked back to the Gryffindor common room... and found cake.

Occasionally, on previous evenings, she noticed the presence of cake or another treat in the common room and had been informed that it was for the people who had a birthday that day. Very kind of the school, really, to put that out for the students, she'd thought. Now it was just another reminder.

So she sat on one of the comfortable chairs scattered across the large room, and just… was. It didn't feel like enough. Just being was too… complacent. Too neutral. But her brain was too scattered to do much more.

"My, my. Look at that, George!"

"Why, Fred, is that cake?"

Elisa heard the exchange loudly over her shoulder. Pointedly louder than a normal conversation, and she found herself smirking slightly.

"Indeed, I believe it is!"

"Now why on earth is there cake here, of all things?"

"Hm… You know, George? I think I've got it."

"You do?"

"It's someone's birthday."

"Is it really?" There was a thoughtful hum. "Whose?"

"I don't know!" Fred's voice was dramatic.

Elisa turned in her seat and leaned her elbows against the back of the chair so she could look at them and watch the exchange. Sure enough, they were both facing each other but sending the occasional glance her way to see what her reactions were.

"Is it ours, Fred?"

"No, that's not for a couple of months yet."

"You sure?" George asked. Fred nodded.

"Well then…" George turned to Elisa. "It must be Elisa's!"

"But certainly there are many other Gryffindor students that could have had a birthday today," Fred told him.

"Nonsense." George disagreed.

Elisa lifted an eyebrow toward her hairline. "You know, statistically speaking—"

"Oh, look at the birthday girl, all smart." Fred teased lightly. "Have you had any cake yet?"

"No."

" _No_?" Both brothers cried in equal astonishment. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "I didn't feel like it."

"Well, certainly I won't shove it down your throat, but would you _consider_ trying it?" George asked.

Elisa sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I could."

"Brilliant, I'll get you a piece!" And before Elisa could object, George had wandered off toward the table displaying the treat.

Fred quickly sat across from her. "So, I know what you're going to say, and you can't say it."

Elisa blinked at the abruptness of the demand. "Can't say what?"

"I bet you're probably thinking 'it's only logical', or some other rubbish like that, but it isn't. And you need to know that." Fred said.

There was a sparkle of mischievous joy in his eye as he spoke, so Elisa knew it was something lighthearted. That didn't stop her from frowning deeply. "What are you talking—"

"Well, Fred, have you asked her yet?" George suddenly reappeared, handing her a small plate and fork, on top of the dish was a fluffy piece of cake.

"No, I've told her that she can't say what I think she'll say."

"Smart choice." George agreed as if he understood exactly what Fred had said. Though Elisa never really doubted that.

"Well, now that she knows that, ask her the question already!" George was impatient, dropping next to his brother on the seat.

Fred nodded. "You see, we were thinking—"

"—and, of course, we do a lot of that," George interceded. "But—"

"—we were trying to figure out what sort of gift to give you on your birthday—"

"—the great day of all days—"

"—and we thought, what did we do for our fourteenth birthday?" Fred grinned. "That gave us the idea—"

"—of doing something similar for you!" George finished enthusiastically.

Elisa stared at them. Obviously, she'd be mad to blindly agree to whatever they had planned. Because, of course, they were still fourteen themselves. That meant that whatever crazy scheme they had planning was bound to be as ridiculous as their regular outings.

"No!" Elisa told them.

Fred smirked. "I thought I ask you not to say what I knew you would say?"

"If you knew I would say it, then why did you ask?" Elisa asked.

"Because we thought there was a chance you'd agreed to it," George admitted.

"And really, we still have a couple hours to convince you," Fred told her.

She shook her head. "It isn't that I'm not flattered by your proposal. Really, I am. But I can't just blindly accept whatever plan you two are making. It probably involves breaking rules."

"Oh, it does." Fred agreed readily. "Specifically curfew rules."

"But we're not going to leave the castle," George told her. "We're only going to the Astronomy Tower."

Elisa frowned at them. "Why?"

"Because the _Astronomy_ Tower is—"

"You'll see." George cut his brother off, interrupting him smoothly. "But you have to come to find out."

She narrowed her eyes at him as the curiosity began to filter into her mind and stir up possibilities. What was so special about the Astronomy Tower? What did Fred and George see there that made it so significant to them? Why did they want to show it to her? Her crave to know, to understand, pulled at her common sense. She really should stay in firm decision, and not go. She should stay resolute.

Instead, she shook her head. "That was underhanded, George Weasley."

He shrugged, not even attempting to claim innocence. He was fully aware of the fact that the young Ravenclaw would have a difficult time resisting the urge to figure out what he meant. The curiosity was strong in Elisabeth Morgan, and he knew it and exploited it.

Again, briefly, Elisa wondered why he wasn't put in Slytherin.

"Okay, fine." She conceded. "I'll go."

* * *

It was dark. The night was thick, the sun had set nearly five hours previously and the black void out of the windows of Gryffindor tower was all-encompassing. There was no moon, so even the snow had diminished in brightness, having very little light to reflect back upward. Elisa, as quietly as she was able, slipped out from underneath her bed covers, pulling on her robes over her school uniform she hadn't bothered to change out of. She slid her feet into her shoes and, in a spontaneous second, grabbed her gloves and hat, stuffing them into her pockets.

Before she moved any further, however, she hesitated, glancing backward at the end table next to her bed. There on its surface rested a box. Unopened since its arrival earlier that week, was her birthday present from her father.

Elisa wasn't going to grab it. She pushed it off, again. That morning, she'd looked at it and thought _after breakfast_. Then it had been _I don't have time, so during the break_. Then it had been _Max wants help studying Herbology, so I'll open it during lunch_. Then _after lunch_. And so on until she'd ultimately decided _tonight when I go to bed_. But then the Weasleys had their plan...

So, before she could talk herself out of it, she took the box in her hand and exited her dorm.

In the common room, Fred and George were waiting for her, the former holding some sort of case at his side. She tried not to think about it.

"How do you plan on not getting caught?" Elisa asked them.

"We've plotted our course, of course," George told her with a smirk.

"Plotted and planned." Fred agreed. Then hesitated. "With a bit of outside help."

Elisa was terrified to ask about that, so she picked something else. "And is it safe, wandering at night with the Chamber of Secrets open?"

The twins looked to each other. "Wow." Fred scratched his head. "I actually forgot all about that."

"You're a Half-blood, right?" George asked her.

An image of Greek and Roman demigods came to her mind. What was with all of the mythological parallels that year? "Yes."

"Then you'll be fine." Fred began walking to the door as he spoke. "Probably."

"Oh, that's comforting."

"Has she gotten more sarcastic, George?" Fred asked over his shoulder, opening the painting so they could slip through.

"I think so, Fred. We've ruined a yet another perfectly innocent soul."

"Another?" Elisa questioned.

"Well, you didn't think Jordan was always _that_ much trouble, did you?" Fred smirked. "We were the spark that lit his rebellious flame."

"Good metaphor."

"Thank you, George."

"You two haven't corrupted me," Elisa told them, automatically lowering her voice upon exiting the common room. They were in the corridor now, oddly vast and echoing in the silence of the night. They seemed much larger when there weren't other students to fill them. It was strange. Alien.

"We haven't, have we?" George asked with a knowing smile.

"And who, exactly, is sneaking out after curfew?" Fred pondered.

"And not just regular curfew, but a strict curfew full of patrolling teachers?" George added.

At the last bit, Elisa froze. She'd forgotten about the patrols. It was to help keep the students safe, but now it was a hitch in their plans. But it couldn't be a hitch. If George mentioned it so casually, then he must know about and have planned for it.

Right?

That thought didn't stop her heart from suddenly beating bruises into the inside of her ribcage as the wind suddenly blew against the panes of glass, whistling as it bounced off of the windows. She clutched the box tighter to her chest and followed along behind the twins as they walked, practically casual, down the hall.

It was twisting and turning. Down staircases, and up different ones. It was regular traveling from one point to another in the nearly-sentient castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a daily hassle, navigating the place. But it was different when it all seemed empty. When the only footsteps to hear were the ones of the small party of three traversing the labyrinth of corridors.

It was so strange. And each paranoid thought caused Elisa's nerves to feel as if they were sparking. Like a loose electrical wire. The corners of each place, she hadn't even noticed them when everything was well lit and bright, were darkened by the night, the shadows as thick as pitch. It was odd how she couldn't remember what resided in those places.

Eventually though, after what felt like hours of trudging, they made it to a spiraling staircase that upward. Into a tower, Elisa knew. They'd made it to Astronomy Tower.

As seemed to be the order of things whenever the trio traveled together, Fred went first, then Elisa, and finally George. Up they went, around and around. Elisa was frankly happy she didn't get motion sick. It wasn't a very tight circle, but it gave the appearance of a never-ending loop. She silently applauded the architects for their symmetry.

The thing that was so special about Astronomy Tower was rather simple, Elisa realized upon entering the room at the top of it. It was wide and open and not at all like she'd imagined it would be. As she'd never taken Astronomy, she'd never had a reason to approach the tower at all.

Fred, who was still leading, kept walking until he'd realized she'd stopped to look around. Elisa stared after him for a moment, until he motioned for her to follow. She did.

There was a terrace that wrapped around the outside of the tower. The only thing stopping them from falling to their deaths being a firm railing that was around Elisa's shoulder height. It was an excellent view of the rest of Hogwarts castle, as the night was clear enough to see every tip of all of the towers in the distance.

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but you're missing it." George suddenly spoke from next to her. She looked at him and saw the outline of his face turned upward. She frowned and followed his lead.

Now looking up at the expanse of sky clearly viewable from the tower they were on, Elisa was in awe. A black void with tiny pinpricks of light scattered across its surface, each with a different brightness. It was even dark enough on that surprisingly clear night that Elisa could even see an odd powder spread in a streak across the sky. She could only describe it in her mind as stardust, though she knew that wasn't necessarily what it was.

It was breathtaking.

There was a nudge on her left shoulder. She managed to tear her eyes away from the sky to see the container in Fred's hand as he held it out to her. She took it and sniffed it skeptically. "Butterbeer? How did you get this?"

"You think our only tricks are transporting ourselves?" Fred asked. "We acquired it legally, don't worry."

"But you certainly didn't bring it into the school legally." Elisa deadpanned.

"Happy Birthday, Elisa," George said, lifting his own drink in the air before taking a gulp of it.

Elisa smirked and sipped on her own. It was here, and there was nothing she could do about it, so why not enjoy it while she could?

"It's a nice view," Fred said, leaning back against the wall, and looking upward, giving the impression that he could fall over the railing at any time. Elisa's brain told her the inaccuracy of the assessment as she realized the wall was to the middle of his shoulder blades; he wouldn't be physically capable of falling.

"It is." She agreed immediately.

"Yeah, well, this is it. Your big present." George spoke nonchalantly, gesturing to their surroundings. "Not all that extravagant, but we thought you wouldn't mind that so much."

"No, this is lovely." She confessed, looking back up at the twinkling sky. "It's gorgeous."

"I'm glad you think so," Fred admitted.

They talked for a while. Of trivial things. Classes, meals, upcoming Quidditch matches, their less-than-favorable opinions of Professor Lockhart, the subjects varied. But it was nice to just sit, and talk. Elisa, at the top of that tower, felt as if she'd left all of her troubles at the bottom of the steps. She felt lighter, looking down at the problems of life from a perspective of being bigger than them. She enjoyed it.

But eventually, it came to an end. Elisa had been holding the box in her hands for the last several minutes. Silently acknowledging its presence without feeling the urge to actually open it. And then there was a thick silence as Fred and George decided to let the conversation die.

Elisa looked at the package flippantly, trying to remain casual about it. It was supposed to be a gift. Something he'd gotten her to make her happy. She tried to guess what was inside. Maybe he'd only gotten her a pair of socks. How hilarious would that be? All of that drama over socks.

She took a deep breath and pulled open the box.

Inside was stuffed with thin paper. She pulled each piece from the box until her eyes caught sight of a thin chain. She pulled at it carefully, and out of the box came a necklace, with a delicate pendant at its end. A bronze-colored metal owl.

Elisa smiled. _"Owls are wise creatures."_ Her father had told her.

 _"Are they really wise?"_ She'd questioned.

 _"I'm not sure. But they've got big eyes. Big eyes to see all of the world around them. To experience it, even on the darkest of nights."_

And ever since then, owls had been her favorite creature.

"Well, there's a smile," George said hopefully.

"So, you're not going to drown us in an ocean of tears?" Fred sounded relieved.

Elisa put on the piece of jewelry and smirked at them. "No, probably not."

She looked between them, suddenly very thankful of having met them in the first place. Elisa wasn't sure how she would have gotten through the last few weeks without them. Without them, and her fellow transfers. Amy, Max, and Jasper were absolute blessings to her aching heart.

"Thank you," she said. And she meant it.

"No problem," George said, smiling kindly.

"Whenever you need us." Fred agreed. "Though hopefully, that isn't very often."

Elisa grinned.

* * *

A/N: See that last line? "Elisa grinned"? Yeah, look, see, I'm not always terrible to these characters! I hope you enjoyed this, and are in better health than I am.

 **Review Response:**

 **UNEDUCATED394:** I'm glad you think it's interesting? I'm not sure the context or tone for that... but I'll take it as a compliment.

 **imasurvivor21:** Thank you so much! I hope your break was enjoyable.


	24. Revelation Cratch

A/N: As an apology for taking so long to update last time, I took all of the time I had free while being sick and wrote another chapter... now to disinfect the keyboard.

Thank you all so much for reading, favoriting, following, or reviewing. If you've done any of those things, I'm very happy. Enjoy this next chapter. We're jumping in on the same day that chapter 22 (do I really have _that many_ chapters?!) ended with. Amy found a ferret, and now she's going to ask Max for assistance on how to take care of it.

Please enjoy the next installment of _Switch the Patch._

* * *

"Hey, Max!" Amy slid in next to him at lunch. "I didn't see you at breakfast."

"Yeah, I was a little busy." He told her, seeming to be distracted and vaguely surprised at her presence. The latter was reasonable, as it was lunch and they didn't sit together until supper.

She frowned at him, but easily brushed off the oddness of his unfocused behavior with the more pressing matter that was on her mind. "I have a question for you."

He looked at her curiously. "What sort of question?"

"Well… how do you care for a ferret?"

Max physically started and turned to her. "Why?"

She blinked owlishly at him for a moment. "Well, you see, it's…" she hesitated. "Hypothetical. You have a ferret, don't you?"

Suddenly the Griffinclaw looked sad as he turned away. "Yes."

Amy frowned. This wasn't how Max normally acted. She tipped her head to be more in his line of sight. "What's wrong?"

He didn't respond for a moment, and she stayed silent to allow him the chance.

Max looked at her and offered a small smile, though it didn't contain a single piece of amusement or happiness. "I seem to have lost my pet."

Amy's eyes widened. "Merlin!"

"It's not that surprising," Max said with a bit of a frown. "I mean, he was a ferret and I let the Sallow twins borrow him. Really, I don't know what else I expected to happen."

"No, Max," she stopped him from saying anything else. "There's a reason I asked you how to care for a ferret."

"For hypothetical reasons, I get it." He said, his frown deepening.

"No, actually, it really wasn't. Hypothetical, I mean." Amy wasn't able to sit still, fidgeting as she tried to explain. "You see, I found one in the corridor and it answers to Merlin – I don't know if you've ever called your ferret Merlin – and I think it might be yours."

He blinked at her. "Merlin? He's named Marvin."

"That's really close," Amy said. "He could answer to that."

Max frowned at her. "Are you sure it's my ferret?"

"I don't see why it couldn't be!" Amy said, excited that she could have potentially helped her friend in a time of need. "You could come look and see."

Max nodded his head, and they didn't even bother sticking around for the food, rushing down the corridor. Amy had stashed the ferret in a container just inside the Hogwarts kitchens. This had been a spot the house elves had allowed her to use to keep pets previously when she'd been staying in the Hufflepuff common room.

Max was very confused when they got there. "Is this the kitchens?"

Amy nodded. "The Hufflepuff common room is near here."

"You guys have your common room right next to the kitchens?" He asked rhetorically. "No wonder Jasper keeps talking about you having fresh cookies in there."

Amy smiled and motioned for him to follow her. The crate that was safely setting in the corner – and was supposed to be holding a ferret – was in sight. Amy pointed to it. "He should be in there."

Max eyed the box skeptically. "Amy… why did you put my ferret in a box."

"Well, Merlin – er, _Marvin_ isn't the first animal I've… fostered. The house elves like that I take care of them, so they gave me a special place to keep them." Amy tried to explain, looking hesitant.

Max stared at her silently for a moment. "You've found other animals and just _kept_ them in the kitchens? Where the _food_ is made?"

"Not _anywhere_ near where the food is made!" Amy spoke up defensively. "That's the next room over."

Max laughed a little. "And I thought you were the innocent one of our group. I guess it's actually Jasper." He said and approached the box. He leaned over to look inside of it and froze. "Amy…"

Amelia's heart leaped to her throat at his tone, her mind flashing back to when she'd found Pasco underneath her bed. What if Mavis had gotten to him? No, that was impossible. There was no way the girl would know where to _look_ for the ferret, let alone find that specific box.

"… He's not here."

She blinked once, in response to Max's words. "What?"

"Marvin isn't here," Max said, sticking his arms in the box and moving it around. She knew he was pulling up the blanket there and looking underneath it.

Amy rushed forward and looked in herself. Sure enough; no ferret. "But… he _was_ here."

"I believe you, but where could he have gone?" Max asked, looking in the corners of the crate for any holes. There were none to be found.

"Maybe he climbed out?" Amy suggested.

Max was shaking his head. "There's a chance, but I don't think so. The walls are a little high for that."

Amy thought hard. Where could they look for him? An idea struck, and she rushed into the adjoining room. "Pip!" she called. "Pip?"

In a small pop, the house elf was suddenly standing in front of her. "Did you miss the lunch? Is it not lunchtime? Are you _not_ eating lunch?" She gasped. "Miss Ross _must_ eat _something_ —"

"I'm fine, Pip, really." Amy smiled at the care in the elf's voice. "Have you been keeping an eye on that box?"

"Since you came with the small furry ferret," Pip confirmed with a nod of her head.

"Where did he go?" Amy asked.

Pip thought for a moment. "There was a boy who came and looked inside of the box. He saw the ferret and took it."

"Who, Pip?" Amy asked, aware of how Max was approaching behind her.

The house elf glanced at the Griffinclaw with hesitancy. "Master Diggory."

" _Cedric_?" Max asked. Pip nodded slowly. "What does he want with my ferret?"

Amy suddenly looked horrified. "Oh, probably nothing." She spoke breathlessly.

Max noticed her distress. "Amy, what is it? What's he done with Marvin?"

"Probably just put him in a safer place?" Amy didn't mean for it to sound like a question, but it did. She turned to the house elf, gave her a quick kiss on her wrinkly head, and said "Thank you, Pip," before running off.

Max saw the poor thing was near tears of gratitude before he followed after the Hufflin.

They rushed back into the Great Hall with absolutely no level of control, cutting straight to the Hufflepuff table. Amy was delighted, in the back of her mind, to see Jasper, Cedric, and Bene all seated together and chatting like friends. It was lovely. But she had more pressing matters on her mind. Showing up at the table with such an urgency that it startled Bene into throwing her spoon over her shoulder, Amy and Max were breathing heavily.

However, the Hufflin stared down Cedric Diggory as if making eye contact alone would give her the information she needed if she tried hard enough.

"Hello, Amy," was all Cedric got in while the blonde was catching her breath.

"Cedric, where's the ferret?" Amy asked.

He paused, taking a moment to jump to the subject she was on. "You know what I told you about keeping animals in the—"

"I _know_ , but I found the owner." She jabbed a thumb in Max's direction – who only waved because he was still winded from the run.

The Hufflepuff looked between them carefully. "He's in the common room."

"So he's okay?" Max asked quickly.

Cedric nodded. "I borrowed Bene's owl cage to keep him contained."

The Hufflepuff Prefect smiled at them. "Hey, Amy."

"Hello, Bene." Amy greeted with a tip of her head.

Max nudged Jasper's shoulder in acknowledgment of his presence. "Jazz."

Jasper rolled his eyes.

Bene smirked. "You've got a nickname?"

Simultaneously, there was a "No!" from Jasper, a "Yes," from Max, and a "Sort of," from Amy.

The Prefect smirked. "Glad you've got that sorted."

"Can we go and get him?" Amy asked.

Cedric frowned. "Why are you—?" He cut off his inquiry with a glance at the green in her robes. "Oh, right." He hesitated and glanced at Bene.

The girl shrugged. "She's still a Hufflepuff in my book, but the school doesn't think so."

"Is there really even a line separating the houses for your group anymore?" Cedric seemed to ask Jasper, Amy, and Max all at once.

They all shrugged slightly, with equal levels of uncertainty. Who could really tell at that point? It was as if they'd formed a bridge that overlapped all of the houses at once.

"I can just go get him, I suppose," Cedric said, beginning to stand. "Then we don't have to question school rules, and all of that."

"Wise decision." Bene ultimately agreed with a smirk. She was bemused by something. If anyone had to guess, they would probably say the situation as a whole. What about it _wasn't_ amusing, or at least slightly unusual?

"Thank you, Cedric," Amy said softly.

The Hufflepuff smiled and shook his head. "Not a problem, Amy. It never is." They began to leave the table, Max behind them. "Though I would like to emphasize my recommendation for—"

"—not keeping the random animals I find around Hogwarts." Amy nodded her head slowly. "I know."

"Wait, you've done this before?" Max asked.

"I told you I have." Amy was frowning at him.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it was so regular that someone would have noticed and tried to intervene," Max confessed, looking surprised. "I mean… what sorts of animals do you find?"

"Toads, kittens, rats… this was my first ferret, though." Amy admitted. "That's why I went to you for help. But I didn't go searching for it. I just… happened across it." She looked pointedly in Cedric's direction as she said this, defensive.

Cedric had a look of fondness on his face as he regarded the younger Hufflepuff. "Did you seriously come across the ferret on your own?"

"Yes!" She told him.

He laughed lightly. "All right, I'll believe you. But really, you shouldn't be taking on more than one pet at once." He hesitated. "Unless you released that frog already. I suppose you would have. He should have been healthy for a few months now, right?"

When Cedric received no response, Max and he both took a moment to look and the anger and sadness wash over Amy's face.

"What frog?" Max asked.

"Amy found a frog out by the lake when we were out there the first week of the last term," Cedric explained carefully. "The poor thing had a broken leg, and Amy couldn't bear to leave…" He trailed off, stopping his forward movement. They were in the corridors again now and had about as much privacy as that would give them. "What's wrong?"

Amy looked up at him. "He was almost better."

Cedric frowned. "Then what happened?"

Amy's voice was bitter when she spoke next. "I don't know."

Max and Cedric met each other's eyes over the blonde head between them, trading a confused look. "That doesn't sound like you don't know," Max said.

Amy started walking then, not saying anything. With a hopeless glance at each other, as neither knew what to do or say, the boys followed her.

They were back in that same room with the box, and Max was confused. Where was the painting or door that lead to the Hufflepuff common room?

"I'll definitely go in there and get you your ferret, Max," Cedric said. "But first, Amy, tell me what happened to your frog."

"He was actually a toad." Amy deflected.

Cedric lifted his eyebrows, giving her a look that said he wasn't impressed. Max was sure the Hufflepuff would be a shoo-in for a Prefect position; he took control of the situation easily.

Amy sighed sadly. "The week I was going to let him loose again… he died."

Cedric frowned. "He died? How did he die?"

"What did you do to him?" Max asked, not at all in an accusing way. It was almost joking.

But, of course, Amy didn't see it that way and bristled. " _I_ didn't do anything to him! It was—" She cut herself off, and shook her head. "It was something else."

Max didn't like the sound of that, and neither did Cedric, it seemed. " _What_ else?" He urged.

Amy huffed, giving in to the pressure. "If you really must know, there's a girl in my dorm who has a grudge against me."

"So she _killed_ your toad?" Max asked, horrified.

Amelia lifted her chin. "I don't know. I can't prove it. But he was healthy when I left him."

"There could be another explanation," Cedric suggested softly.

Amy nodded her head. "That's what I was wondering about. But right now, we've got to give Max his pet back."

"Right." Cedric agreed, walking over to a stack of barrels that Max had barely noticed setting against one wall of the room. The Hufflepuff pulled out his wand and tapped a barrel in a specific pattern with its tip. Suddenly, there was an opening.

Cedric Diggory disappeared inside for a moment, returning with an owl's cage. Inside was a small ferret.

Max's grin exploded onto his face. "Marvin!"

* * *

Jasper Wilf entered the library, holding his Charms textbook. He sat at one of the many tables, picking one that was occupied by another Slytherin. One he knew. "Nelson," He said as a word of greeting.

Rory Nelson smirked at him. "Hello, Jazz."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "It won't stick."

"Says you." Rory obviously disagreed with him.

"Get off it." Jasper scowled, and the Slytherin laughed quietly. He shook his head. "So, anything to report?"

"You know, if I didn't already do this with the others, it would be weird," Rory mentioned.

He was what some would refer to as a mix between a guardian and a spy for the muggleborns in the Slytherin house. He kept an eye on everyone and stayed up to date on all of the gossip going around the snake house so that he could make sure they were safe. Amy was someone he kept a particularly close eye on, due to Jasper's request and because he knew how dangerous it could be for her. She would need someone on her side at all times.

When Jasper gave him a pointed look, he sighed. "She's fine. Took a rather speedy tour of the castle today, though."

"Yeah, it had to do with Johnson's missing ferret," Jasper explained. "He lost it, she accidentally found it, but it had since been apprehended by another Hufflepuff, so they had to jump through a few extra hoops to get it back." He summed up.

Rory nodded slowly, understanding clearing his face. "She's fine other than that, though. Made some friends."

"Since I've last talked to you?" Jasper tried to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"She's a Hufflepuff, mate. They're nothing but friendly." Rory told him.

Jasper shook his head. "Not all Hufflepuffs are friendly." He could now say this from experience, having experienced some prejudice against his own house. It was much milder than it would have been had he been transferred to Gryffindor, but it wasn't always marshmallows and kittens either.

The Hufflepuff house was fiercely loyal. And if there was a Hufflepuff that was a close friend of someone a Slytherin deliberately teased, you could bet a fortune on that same Hufflepuff being ready to tear into someone. Some were more forward with that ideal than others. Amy was very relaxed in that, as was the majority of her house. But not everyone. Ernie Macmillan was a young one Jasper had no trouble pointing to when someone asked for an example.

"You would be the one to know, I guess," Rory admitted. "It's hard to keep track of her, though."

"You know, maybe if you actually hung out with her…?" Jasper left the idea hanging in the air.

Rory Nelson rolled his eyes. "Yeah, great plan. I'll just sit with her at meals and suddenly we'll be friends."

Jasper blinked. "That's literally all it takes."

Rory was shaking his head. "Don't be ridiculous. She makes friends quickly, but not _that_ quickly." When Jasper didn't agree with him, Rory hesitated. "You mean… that really _is_ all it takes?"

Jasper smirked and patted his friend on his shoulder. "She's a Hufflepuff, mate."

* * *

Minerva McGonagall looked out over the Great Hall as supper commenced, her eyes trailing to the out-of-place colors seated at the Slytherin table. She couldn't help but smile to herself, in spite of the rivalry between her own house and the ones in green. That sort of unity in the school wasn't one she'd ever seen before this year except for in scattered moments. Now it was reoccurring and stable. And she couldn't contain her joy at the sight.

She glanced over at the Headmaster, where he was seated next to her that evening at the High Table, and noticed he also had his gaze on the patch of mixed colors. When he returned his attention back to his plate, she stated her thoughts.

"I think it was a brilliant idea." She spoke kindly.

Albus Dumbledore paused and noted the direction of the Deputy Headmistress's gaze. "I'm glad you've come to see it as that." He mentioned. "Though, really it could have been at a better time."

"A better time?" Minerva inquired. "How could you have known about the opening of the Chamber this year? There was no way to suspect it."

Dumbledore gave a thoughtful hum and took a bite of his beef.

"Well, nevertheless, I think it was a good idea." She said. "And I enjoy having a new student with my house."

"You have new students in your house every year." The droning voice drew McGonagall away from the Headmaster as she turned toward its source.

"You know what I mean, Severus." She said.

He arched an eyebrow at her. A look he commonly had on his face. "Do I?"

"Yes. I'm sure you're very excited to have Amelia Ross as a member of your house." She knew this wasn't the case. In fact, she had previously heard him complaining about having a badger mixed in with his snakes. So she pointed the jibe at him like a trap, as he knew full well that Dumbledore was listening.

However, what she realized at the last moment – just as Professor Snape opened his mouth – was that the Head of Slytherin was a brutally honest man, no matter who was lending an ear. She cast an apologetic glance in the direction of Pomona Sprout, who happened to be seated on the opposite side of Severus Snape that evening.

"I think _excited_ is a bit of an overstatement. She doesn't hold a respect for the traits a Slytherin is meant to appreciate. She is disruptive to the relative peace that was thin to begin with, and might I add that she's been at the center of several incidents between students in the last few months?" He spouted all of this with a rather severe tone, his voice tinged with annoyance.

He held a single hand up over his right shoulder, which put it directly near Pomona Sprouts now-cherry-red face. It was a signal to stop before she began, as he'd known she would step up to defend her student without hesitation.

"But…" He said the word pointedly. "She's a student who is willing to actually _try_ and learn the material I'm teaching her, both in potions and out. And I can tell that – though she is a magnet to trouble – Ms. Ross is trying to keep the peace. Failing. But trying nonetheless."

Snape lifted his fork and dug it into his own portion of beef before giving a shocked McGonagall a pointed look. "Excited? No. Mildly surprised?" He shrugged, and took a bite of his food, looking straight forward so that he was avoiding both the gaze of Minerva and the gaze of Pomona.

The two women met each other's shocked expressions and they looked back forward as well.

Dumbledore released a low chuckle under his breath, and Minerva McGonagall really wondered at the source of his amusement.

* * *

A/N: Thank you again for reading this! I'm honored that you've taken time out of your probably-very-busy day to do so. :) There isn't much else to add I think. This is a small note, I suppose.

Catch you later!


	25. Cards to Patch

A/N: It seems like I'm always opening this with a greeting and then some sort of apology for the late update... so let's skip that, as you now know it still applies. I hope I didn't make you wait too long! We haven't forgotten what happened, right? No need for a previously-on section? I'm going to take your silence as a "no, thanks". Anyway, this is chapter 25! One-fourth of 100! Just to clarify, I am not posting 100 chapters in this fic. It's just fractions. And a perspective. And holy crumbs this story is already way longer than I thought it would be...

Also, I'll try to get another chapter out within the next few days as an apology for the late update, but it will be a filler chapter with some character development. Like a lot of my writing these days, I suppose.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I like to have warnings, but their kind of dull most of the time... I'm American, sorry for any term mess ups. And I don't have an editor or anything, so there will probably be spelling mistakes and stuff.

On with the story!

* * *

When February first rolled around, Amy approached Hermione Granger to make sure she really was doing okay. Amelia had never gone into the Hospital Wing to visit, mostly because she was pretty sure they weren't that close. They had only managed one conversation, and it was just after something pretty dramatic so Amy didn't feel it counted. However, after Hermione was released from that wing of the castle, Amy had no trouble going to her and asking how she was doing.

However, there were some in her company that were not so sure of that logic.

"Why did you go talk to Granger?" Asked Vincent Crabbe as Amy returned to her seat in the Great Hall.

It was lunchtime, and they'd ended up sitting across from each other. Lynne was on her right, as was normal now. But across the table sat Vincent, Gregory Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. The last of the trio pointedly ignoring her presence the majority of the time.

"She's just spent over the last month in the Hospital Wing due to some unfortunate accident," Amy said. "Released this morning, in fact. I'm just asking how she's doing."

"Obviously better, since she's making us suffer through her presence again," Draco muttered, digging his fork into his food.

Amy gave him a pointed look. "She hasn't even been within three meters of you yet. This is the first time you've been in the same room since Christmas."

"Yeah, well, that know-it-all shouldn't be here in the first place." Draco stabbed the prongs of his fork hard enough onto the dish to make the plate squeak in a painful pitch. They all froze, each of their eardrums echoing the sound uncomfortably for a few moments.

Amy nodded thoughtfully, looking at her plate.

Lynne observed her friend carefully. Lynne understood that Amy knew Draco's point of view, and she would respect it. No matter how much she clearly disagreed with it. And maybe it was the lack of jam on the table that made her irritable, or perhaps she'd just grown tired of Malfoy's jibes, but Lynne couldn't stand her friend's idleness that day.

"Why not?" Lynne snapped at the Malfoy.

Amy looked up from her food. "Lynne, I don't think—"

"Why doesn't Granger deserve to be here?" Lynne asked. "She's top of her classes. _All_ of them. Everyone knows it, and it's really no surprise. She respects the study of magic as if it were a sacred art, which is what you're claiming. Even at our age. So what's your problem with Granger?"

Lynne Morr had been very quiet whenever they sat together. Whenever Amy insisted she would be sitting by Malfoy and his friends, Lynne tagged along out of a weird urge to protect and defend. Amelia was her friend, and she knew first-hand what the prejudice was doing to her. It was ugly and immature, but it was happening. The only reason it hadn't gotten to Lynne first was because of Rory. However, the Slytherin girl had stayed quiet most of the time, simply observing each situation.

"It's because…" Malfoy trailed off and went from glaring harshly at Lynne to staring curiously at Amy. After a moment of complete silence from Draco, he returned his gaze to Lynne, glaring once more. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Your argument is that you don't need to argue?" Lynne huffed, taking a piece of buttered bread into her hand as she continued sarcastically. "Well, I'm glad you have a solid reason for your bias."

Draco looked steamed then, and Amy traded a tired look with Vincent and Gregory.

As Draco opened his mouth to respond, Amy lifted her hand as if in a classroom and she was waiting to be called upon. For some reason, this caused both him and Lynne to pause. "Yes?" He snapped.

"Why are we arguing about this?" Amy asked, lowering her hand. "It's pointless. Hermione Granger is here, I'm here, and there's really nothing anyone can do about it at the moment." Her voice sounded tired as if she were repeating herself for the hundredth time. "So can we please just enjoy lunch?"

They were all silent for a short while, staring at her. She nodded as if that had been exactly what she wanted. "Thank you."

The rest of the group watched her eat for a second before they slowly returned to eating themselves. First Crabbe and Goyle. Then Malfoy and Morr.

Vincent and Gregory shared an amused glance behind Malfoy's head, sending Amelia Ross a look of pride. She'd just seemed so fed up with the situation. It was hilarious.

For some reason, however, that was the end of the majority of Draco's comments. Not all of them, as Crabbe and Goyle still heard the pure-blood Slytherin make a stinging statement about one muggle-born or another. But suddenly, the frequency shortened. And often, when the two of Malfoy's long-been-friends normally expected to need to hold Draco back from offending Amy, there would instead be a thoughtful silence in place of a sharply-spoken word.

Draco was thinking before he spoke. A very mature thing to find in someone only twelve. He was, of course, expected to be mature in his home, as his father was often in the center of a lot of politics. This wasn't always the case, though. Children are normally more honest in their emotions than adults. This isn't always a negative trait, but when one is full of anger or irritation, it can lead to conflicts faster.

But the normal companions and friends of Draco Malfoy noticed a decline in these conflicts. It was a slow process, and the majority of the time they could practically see the contemplation in his eyes. He still sounded obnoxious often, and they had expected that as Draco couldn't just drop his standard identity.

In that moment, though, Amy had given him something to think about. Something to ponder. If he only made snide remarks about a situation, it wouldn't change. It wouldn't get better. And it certainly wouldn't turn around into something that he wanted to happen. So, perhaps, the best option he had was to make a strategic peace with the Hufflepuff-transfer.

* * *

Jasper had never seen such a cheesy display in all of his life. Upon exiting his dorm that morning, the normally-golden-with-sunlight common room appeared covered in a blanket of soft pinks and deep reds. Inwardly, Jasper wondered why. Why would there be hearts… everywhere? And then he remembered the day.

Valentine's Day.

The very first thing that shot through his head was a very simple thought; _Oh, dear._

And not a moment too soon, as he'd been spotted.

Bene was energetic that day, her thick hair was in ringlets as bouncy as she was, as always. "Hey, Jasper!"

"Hello, Bene." He greeted her easily, looking around the room still.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" She said excitedly, holding something out to him.

Jasper looked at her hands, startled for a moment, before realizing she was handing him something. He took it in gentle fingers. It was a small, red card. It simply read _It's great having you as a badger!_ And a repeat of that most common phrase: _Happy Valentine's Day!_

The Slytherpuff smiled slightly as he read it before he looked up at her. "Thank you, but… I don't have anything for you."

"That's fine." She waved her hand dismissively. "I just hoping I would get to you first."

Jasper frowned at her then. "Why?"

"To warn you," Bene admitted. "Professor Sprout encourages platonic gift-giving on Valentine's. Cards are the easiest thing for students to get to and afford. You're brand new to this house… have you done the math yet?"

Jasper had, but he wasn't sure if his calculations were correct. "I'm going to get a few more of these?" He offered the idea as a question for confirmation.

"More like a few dozen more." Bene corrected. "Have fun." She gave him a smirk and walked away.

"Gee, thanks." He muttered as she retreated, shaking his head. She could have been over exaggerating. In fact, she most likely was. Right?

* * *

Amy held the card out to Lynne with a smile. The brunette took it with excitement dancing in her eyes and opened it. She read the words, and Amy shifted her weight nervously.

The Hufflyn had written a small thank-you note inside to try and show some of her gratitude for Lynne helping her feel more at home in Slytherin. She wondered how it would be received.

The answer was simple enough Amelia could have predicted it. It was received with a broad smile, and a tight hug, and a transferred letter of her own. Amy was surprised by the card she'd been given, but took it without hesitation, opening it to read the inside.

 _"To: my best friend, Amy. Thank you for all of the fun times this year. Happy Valentine's Day!"_

"I hope you don't mind the address," Lynne said suddenly. "I know we didn't actually say anything about it, but—"

"Of _course_ we're best friends!" Amy interrupted her nervous rant. "We're the best of friends!"

Lynne's eyes sparkled with happiness. "Really?"

"Yes," Amy confirmed. "How could we not be?"

"Aw..." Lynne blushed slightly, before reaching up to her hair. She patted one of her braids for a moment before looking suddenly appalled. "I didn't grab my heart pin!"

"You go get it, and I'll meet you at breakfast, okay?" Amy offered.

"Sounds good to me. Though I may be a bit; I haven't worn it in a while, and I don't remember where I put it." Lynne admitted sheepishly.

"That's fine, I don't mind waiting for you," Amy tried to reassure her. Then she looked past Lynne to see more people she knew, and some of them had a card addressed to them in her hands. "Excuse me, Miss Lynne." Amelia politely dismissed herself with an over-exaggerated bow. Lynne giggled, and Amy skipped away.

"Rory!" She passed the tall boy a card. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Thanks," He said through his surprise before she hopped away to catch someone else.

"Hey, you three," Amelia greeted as she slid into step next to Vincent Crabbe. "Happy Valentine's Day." She passed Vincent his card first. And then to Malfoy. And then another to Gregory.

"Christmas _and_ Valentine's Day?" Vincent asked with a smirk. "We must be friends or something."

"Your wit is noted," Amy said with a roll of her eyes and a mirrored smile. "See you at breakfast!" She rushed off, not wanting to pressure them into reacting to her sudden arrival.

Amy then continued her hastened pace out of the Slytherin common room, going up the stairs from the dungeons. At the top of the staircase, she turned the corner and abruptly tripped. Cards flew into the air as she released them to try and catch herself. They fluttered slowly to the ground in contrast to her instant plummet to the floor. She grunted upon landing and could guarantee her elbows were bruised.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

Amy recognized the voice that spoke, and the coldness concealed in the phrase. Malice wrapped in the soft fabric of polite words. A hand reached down in front of her face. Not to offer her help to her feet, looking instead to lift one of the bright-colored cards from the ground. Amy followed the thin fingers to a wrist, then up the student's cloaked arm to a sneering face. Her round nose lifted snootily into the air, there was Mavis.

That was, of course, the only name Amy knew her by. It was her surname, but her first one had never been offered. Amy's mindset on the subject was that if her roommate didn't want to share her name, it was her own business.

"Who's Beany?" Mavis asked as Amy quickly pushed herself to her feet.

"It's _Bene_." Amy put extra emphasis on the last syllable in spite of herself, the "ay" in the pronunciation drawing itself out. "It's French. She's a Hufflepuff prefect."

"So you're still keeping in touch with your old house," Mavis observed.

Amy nodded mutely and bent over to pick up the rest of the cards. An extra set of hands began helping her. She didn't recognize the boy they belonged to.

"You are _so_ _kind_ , Matt," Mavis said, obviously to the other student, in a patronizing manner. But when the boy stood, a pile of cards in hand, he made no move to give them back to Amy.

So she took initiative. "Could I have those back, please?"

The two Slytherins traded a look. Mavis tipped Bene's card in her hand until it was sideways, locked eyes with Amy, and then tore it in half.

Amelia's eyes widened. "Why did you do that?"

"You're not even going to do anything about it," Mavis threw the pieces over her shoulders and grabbed another one from Matt. "Are you?"

"Please, don't—"

Amy's plea was interrupted by the sound of more ripping paper. The Hufflyn clenched her fingers around the cards she held, pulling them protectively to her chest. She stared at the other girl with an expression nearly blank. _I can fix them later_. She repeated the sentence like a mantra in her head.

Still tearing each card, Mavis was frowning thoughtfully. "Wow. Nothing. It's like you're too stupid to comprehend that I'm doing this. Because how can anyone be mean, right?" Mavis shook her head, her voice a sickly sweet. "Hufflepuffs with their heads in the clouds, and an idiot of a _mudblood_. Put them together, and it's always going to be a useless combination. Aw, look, Matt. I think she might cry."

Amy's eyes were wet, sure. But it was with a low-boiling rage as she stared into the other girl's eyes.

As the last card fell to the ground, Amy forced a smile onto her face, the wrinkling of her eyes causing the near-tears to become more prominent and her vision blurred. "Happy Valentine's Day." She worked out eventually.

Matt and Mavis looked at each other in confusion before looking at Amy in irritation. Something in their eyes said that it wasn't the last time Amy would be interrupted by them. The lack of reaction from the Hufflyn was stopping them from having ammunition, however, and neither knew what to do about it at that moment. So, they left, Mavis pointedly treading on the torn paper beneath her feet.

Amy was going to wait until they were gone, but the presence of other Slytherin students exiting the stairway pushed her into action. They gave her odd looks as she arranged the pieces of cards into piles on the ground. It was a few seconds later when she was approached again.

"Ross?" The voice was confused and hesitant. Amy didn't look up at them, not wanting to show the pure emotion she knew was plastered on her face. She pulled out her wand and sniffed, her sinuses getting runny from her holding back tears.

"Ross, are you okay?" The voice again. She ignored it.

" _Reparo_ ," Amy cast the charm on one card, and its halves bound together again with a soft flutter of paper.

"Uh… Ross?" A new voice this time. She knew them. Both of them. The first one had been Gregory. The second, Vincent.

" _Reparo_ ," She muttered again, on a different card, and it mended itself as well. Her voice cracked on the next one, and she stopped, leaving the cast unfinished. Maybe it would be easier silently.

There were footsteps as someone walked around her to stand in front of her and her pile. Nice shoes. Probably expensive. Not big enough to be Gregory's. The thought didn't get much further as she then saw knees, the other student kneeling on the ground. Amy lifted her eyes to meet the cool irises of Draco Malfoy.

The blond looked away from her face uncomfortably, probably seeing the unshed tears there, and shifted around the pieces of paper like a puzzle. Before long, he was muttering the Mending Charm himself, putting the cards back together.

Amy didn't have the breath to thank him, still trying to contain her own emotions. She didn't trust her voice. Vincent and Gregory quickly knelt down as well, working on the cards themselves. They were antsy as if they'd wanted to act but had waited for Draco's move first. That didn't surprise her; they were as loyal as Hufflepuffs. She didn't think much more about it as she watched them mend some of the cards. There were quite a few; Amy had made some for the professors as well as for most of the students she knew in her original house.

Not wanting to speak at all for the moment, Amy began casting the charm silently, her focus completely on the task of performing each one correctly. It was almost calming, the method of her actions. After doing the last, she realized the three boys across from her had stopped to stare at her.

She cleared her throat and gathered all of the now-fixed cards into a bundle. "Thank you," She said simply.

"That was insane," Gregory muttered. "You didn't say a thing!"

"She's been taking classes," Draco told his friend.

"Oh, right!"

"Are you okay?" Vincent asked. "What happened?"

Amy sniffed and made her way to standing. The boys followed. She gave them a shaking smile. "I'm fine. It happens all the time. Just some pure-bloods in Slytherin showing their opinions."

The three boys traded looks rimmed with mild amounts of guilt. Draco frowned at her. "Why didn't you fight back?"

She shrugged. "As much as it angered me that they could just… do that, I didn't want to make a scene. And I knew I could fix them."

"But… you worked hard on them." Vincent said.

"Yeah, well, I could just work hard again to fix them. It's not a problem, really." She shifted the stack in her hand to try and line the cards up so they were easier to grip. They were silently observing her.

She sighed. "Listen, I'm going to head to breakfast. Are you three coming?"

"Sure." Gregory was the only one to answer.

Amy smiled kindly and began walking, following a group of Slytherins that had just exited the dungeons themselves. As she fell into step behind them, the trio that had helped her did so as well. And they walked to the Great Hall together.

* * *

A/N: Why am I so mean to these characters? I feel like such a terrible person sometimes... Anyway, a relatively short chapter in acknowledgment of the upcoming holiday. This is sort of a filler, and the next one will be too, but I'm hoping to get back into the actual plot soon. Thanks for sticking around, you guys!

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** Hello again! Goodness, I'm sorry this one took so long to get to you. I'm _super_ excited that you're still enjoying it, though. Thank you for the review!

 **mathgirl92:** HI! I, as a Hufflepuff, will now frequently use the following quote from your review as a personal response to many things: "Badgers are persistent, (he/she/they is/are) just delaying the inevitable." I actually laughed out loud at your review. Thank you for it!

Catch you later!


	26. Notes to Attach

A/N: This is the second chapter I promised. I wish I could say that this story was set gently on the back burner of the stove while life simmered in the front saucepan drizzled with writers' block for the last... months. But in reality, this story was slammed into the backseat of a beat-up Chevy while life made the road slick with frozen, rough days and deep plot holes. All the while I'm clinging to the steering wheel, desperately trying to maintain any ounce of control I could manage. So, this one's a bit short of the normal goal length I've set for myself.

Yeah, this has been a rough couple of weeks. I lost motivation for... well, everything, but I promised this story would not be abandoned, and I meant it.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter. And I'm still American. And I still have no beta. I only have jahaha27, who helped me create the OCs in this story, and was willing to listen to me talk through plot points I was hesitant or unsure of.

Here's a bit of humor for you, I hope. Enjoy?

* * *

Bene had to have been totally exaggerating when she said that he would get more than just a couple of Valentine's, Jasper had thought. Maybe he could silently roll his eyes in annoyance at the holiday and it would just sort of slink by. Same as every other year. Right?

Wrong. So very wrong. Jasper had barely sat at the Hufflepuff table that morning when people began handing him things. Cards, tiny drawings of hearts or cartoonish snakes, a few had tiny candies attached, others covered in glitter. He had about fifteen of them in front of him by the time the food arrived. It was all completely ludicrous in his mind. He didn't even _know_ that many people.

He began sifting through them. Most were incredibly generic Valentine messages, others were thanking him for being with Hufflepuff as long as he had, and wishes for a good rest of term. One actually had a poem, and a careful look at that one showed him it wasn't from a Hufflepuff at all, instead it was from a Slytherin. He didn't know who, as there was no name. Before he could contemplate it or the words, though, another few cards were dropped on top of it and soon the poem was in the back of his mind.

About half-way through the meal, Amy approached him and held out a piece of parchment in his direction. He took it as wordlessly as she'd given it and unfolded it to look at it.

" _Thank you for taking the opportunity to transfer, and becoming my friend! I appreciate you and hope you've enjoyed Hufflepuff. Happy Valentine's Day! – Amy_ "

Jasper smiled at the letter, and at the ink sketches of the same hearts that littered every other paper on the table in front of him, along with an amazing try at the Slytherin crest. Unlike the others, this one he tucked into his pocket. "Thank you," He said. "I appreciate you, too."

She smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders for a gentle squeeze. "Happy Valentine's Day."

He smirked and patted her elbow. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Amy took a few steps down the table and began passing out other cards. He noticed that she gave one to the majority of the Hufflepuffs present. Jasper's smile stayed for a while then.

After the meal, Jasper decided to go back to the common room. He was stopped just outside of the Great Hall with a single greeting.

"Hey, Jazz!"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "It's never going to catch," He told Max, pausing in his steps.

"Says you." The Gryffinclaw teased, repeating the same lines he always did as he stepped around to be in front of the Slytherpuff. "How many girls in Hufflepuff have you flirted with?"

"What?" Jasper looked down at the stack of cards in his hands. "Oh, none. Apparently, it's a Hufflepuff thing."

"Sure it is," Max said with a wink.

Jasper started walking hoping Max would stay behind. But, instead, the Gryffinclaw followed.

"Don't be so modest, Jazzy! I'm sure all of the girls—"

"Whoa," Jasper froze and lifted his hand firmly into Max's face to stop the flow of words. "No. No, you are _not_ calling me _that_."

"Aw, come on, Jasper!"

" _No_." He repeated firmly, beginning to walk again.

"But Jazzy is adorable! You'd get about forty more Valentine's cards from the name alone!"

"Stop it, Johnson." Jasper threw over his shoulder. "It's not happening."

Max sighed over-dramatically. "Fine. If you insist, I'll let this one go."

Jasper was surprised by the statement and wasn't sure if he believed it. Hesitantly, with no small amount of skepticism, he spoke. "Thank you."

Max hopped a step to return to being in stride with the taller boy. "So, any special plans today?" There was a suggestive elbow to Jasper's arm.

The boy rolled his eyes. Again. "No, and I'm not planning on it."

"What, no girlfriend?"

"No," Jasper confessed, refusing to be embarrassed about it. "I'm way too young for that stuff."

Max frowned. "Aren't you, like, fifteen?"

"No," Jasper felt like he was saying that word a lot. "And even if I were, it's still too young."

Max made a face. "Oh, you're one of _those_ people."

Jasper frowned. "What people?"

"The 'I'm not going to date until I'm out of school' people. Aren't you?"

"Wow, how'd you guess?" Jasper asked sarcastically.

Max waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, ignoring the response entirely. "We're teenagers, and these years that are coming up are supposed to be our carefree, reckless stage!"

Jasper gave the other boy a knowing smirk. "But you hate recklessness. Didn't you say you used to follow the Weasley twins just to clean up after them?"

"Ha ha." Max's dry and thoroughly unamused laugh made Jasper's smile a bit easier in his own enjoyment. "But seriously though, we've gotta use the time we have! Who knows what next year will bring, you know? What if, instead of the Chamber of Secrets being opened, there's some sort of... invasion of a mythical creature that totally wipes out any joy we could possibly have?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. He seemed to be doing a lot of that around Max. "You're being overdramatic."

"But hypothetically, you know?" Max pushed forward. "We don't know how long we'll be happy!"

Jasper's expression turned into a thoughtful frown. He wasn't contemplating his nonexistent love life, as Max suspected, however. What Max was providing was an obviously-Gryffindor point of view. Carpe diem. Live each moment as if it were your last, and do so boldly. Compared to his own point of view, which was more centered toward planning for the future. Live each moment to give the opportunity for you to enjoy your last when it finally came.

Odd. He wondered if other Slytherins were of a similar mindset to his, or if they were centered more around Max's own opinion. And how did Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs line up with, or differ from, the already-expressed opinions of living life?

"Earth to Jasper Wilf!" Max's voice drew the Slytherpuff from his thoughts, and he blinked as he tried to orient himself with his current surroundings once more.

"Sorry, did you ask me something?" Jasper asked, hoping he hadn't missed anything too important when he'd been thinking.

Max frowned at the ginger. "No."

"Oh... good, I guess."

They walked in silence for a moment.

"So... did you have any special plans?" Jasper asked finally.

"Plans for what?" Max wondered, having moved off of that subject completely in his own thoughts.

Jasper took a moment to throw the Griffinclaw an exasperated look. "Valentine's Day!"

"Oh," Max muttered, looking away as if contemplating his answer for a moment. "Nope."

Jasper blinked. "None?"

"None," Max confirmed.

"Then why in Merlin's name were you teasing _me_ about it?" Jasper asked. If the exasperation had ever left, it returned in full force.

Max smirked. "Somebody has to."

Jasper, well... Jasper rolled his eyes. He was surprised he hadn't gotten motion sick, as often as he'd been completing the action for the course of the conversation. Instead of a dramatic circle of the eyes, as it had been toward the beginning, it could be more accurately described as his looking toward the ceiling briefly and shaking his head ever so slightly.

"Did you see Snape's face, though?" Max laughed.

The ginger was taken by surprise at the change of subject. "What about Professor Snape?"

"Amy gave him a Valentine today." The brunet elaborated, realizing that his friend must not have seen it himself. "His eyes practically popped out of his skull! He didn't seem to know how to even hold it."

"He was probably contemplating the best way to destroy it." Once Jasper had gotten over the initial confusion, and surprise, at the events that had apparently happened while he'd been otherwise distracted, he thought out loud that thought.

"Yeah, well, I didn't see what he decided, and Amy didn't stick around to find out either," Max mentioned.

Jasper smirked. "Wise girl."

"Maybe," Max mentioned. "Though I really wanted to know what he did next."

"Why didn't you just wait to see?" Jasper asked.

"Amy wanted to give me this." Max reached into his robes and removed a small card. On the front was a hand-drawn picture of what was probably supposed to be a lion. "So she pulled me away with her."

Jasper dug through his own stack, ignoring Max's amused expression as he had to awkwardly hold some of them under his chin, trying to find the one Amy had given to him. Then, in a moment of clarity, he remembered he's placed hers in his pocket. Inwardly sighing, he allowed all of the letters to fall back into a single stack as he reached into his robes to grab the note. Sure enough, there was he shockingly accurate Slytherin crest on its front that he'd observed before.

Max peeked at it over Jasper's shoulder before huffing in annoyance. "Why does yours look so much better than mine?"

"Snakes are _way_ easier to draw than lions, and she's had to look at the Slytherin crest more often." Jasper reasoned easily. "It's simple."

"Yeah, or maybe she likes you more." Max contemplated.

Jasper sighed deeply as he caught himself about to roll his eyes again. Honestly, the Griffinclaw would give him a migraine one of these days.

"No, I'm sure that she's equally annoyed with both of us more often than not." The ginger said finally.

Max snapped his fingers. "Speaking of; Elisa wanted to know if you were up for hanging out later."

"Is it another study group thing?" Jasper asked, trying to keep the reluctance he felt out of his voice.

Max read the emotion anyway and gave him a knowing and sympathetic look. "I think that's just the only way she knows how to ask us around."

"I'll go, sure, but I'm not studying." Even as he said this, he knew it wasn't a good idea; there was a paper due in History of Magic that Wednesday.

"Suit yourself." Max agreed easily. "I don't know where she's wanting it today, though. Maybe I can convince her to stay inside. What do you say the chances are?"

"Slim," Jasper stated immediately; it had warmed slightly outside, and most of the snow had melted before it got cold again. "Very slim."

Max lifted his brows. "How much would you wager?"

"Two sickles."

"Holy mother of Merlin, Jasper." Max shook his head. "How about we lower that a bit? Say... ten knuts?"

"You're joking, obviously. That's barely even a risk." Jasper argued.

"Not everyone is rich, Wilf." Max countered.

"Why do you suddenly think I _am_ rich?" Jasper asked.

"You're a Pure-Blood!" Max told him as if it were obvious.

"So is your mother!" Jasper responded, remembering what Max had previously told him.

"Yeah, but not _everyone_ who has pure-blood status is rich."

Jasper simply stared at him, as if waiting for the words Max spoke to sink into his own brain.

Understanding cleared Max's face before annoyance took its place. "Okay, fine, you've got me. But an _entire_ two sickles on a petty bet? Really?"

"Okay..." Jasper thought for a moment. "Twenty knuts. Just to keep it interesting."

"Fifteen."

"Deal."

The boys shook on it. "If we end up outside, you pay me fifteen knuts. If we end up indoors, I'll pay you." Jasper restated their deal so it would be clear to them both, and he could make sure there was no misunderstanding.

Max agreed, and then split paths with the Slytherpuff. The brunet went in the direction of Elisa, and the ginger in the direction of Hufflepuff common room so he could put away his frankly ridiculous amount of Valentine's cards.

Later, the transfers all met in the open courtyard that had commonly been their place of meeting before the first snow the year before. Elisa, in the midst of greeting the boys as they arrived, would wonder why Max seemed disgruntled as he passed something to Jasper, who was looking incredibly smug in his scarf and one of the hats he'd received for Christmas.

* * *

The hours of that afternoon melted into evening, and then into the next day. The days following melted into weeks, and time stretched like taffy. They were all aware of its relation to itself but unsure of where to section it off in their minds. Homework and other school-related activities tended to do that to people. And soon the month of February was finished.

March zoomed past yielding similar results.

Jasper Wilf became well-versed in the subject of plants, allowing any Hufflepuff that was willing to rant about their favorite one. He was known as a friendly face they never minded encountering, and many of them became very relaxed around other Slytherins as well.

Amelia Ross didn't have any more direct encounters with the Mavis family, though the sister of them often sent her cold glares. She grew more practiced in silent casting and remained excellent friends with Lynne. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were pleasant to her, more often than not.

Maxwell Johnson was getting exponentially better at the abstract thinking required to solve the riddles the door to Ravenclaw spouted at him. Though occasionally you could find him seeking out a particular blonde for help, as he knew Luna would never tease him about getting the riddles wrong. Janna and James Sallow apologized to Jasper for losing his ferret and displayed this by agreeing to put all experiments on hold for two whole weeks. It was incredibly peaceful.

Elisabeth Morgan was able to go through her months with surprising ease. Not joyfully, but not in misery. It was relatively peaceful for her as well, as neither Fred nor George approached her more than twice regarding their pranks. They did, however, relentlessly distract her by asking about every book she was trying to read at the time of the questions, and occasionally succeeding in dragging her into a game of exploding snap.

Toward the end of the month, however, a harmless rumor reached the ears of the Gryffindors. It claimed simply that there would be no prank on April First caused by the Weasley twins. None of those who heard it believed a word of it; it was their birthday and April Fools. How could they resist such an occasion? But, even as the doubt circulated from the news, the ginger twins neither confirmed nor denied the accusation whenever they were approached. It was an odd situation indeed. Some of the professors were relieved when they heard the suspected news. Others were apprehensive to hope. Reasonably so. Though it was only something to be answered in time.

Everyone would find out on April First.

* * *

A/N: I know this one was more of a filler chapter, but I wanted to get it posted, too. Thanks for waiting for me, you guys. Your patience is appreciated, really.

And thank you for reading, or if you've followed/favorited/reviewed this or any of my other stories! Confession, though; it may be a couple more chapters before we get back into the actual plot of the story; the Weasley twins' birthday is coming up you know, among other things. I'll see if I can post a chapter on their birthday in real time, too. We'll see what happens.

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** I'm glad you don't mind fluff, 'cause here's some more. :) I'm really glad you're still enjoying this, and thank you for the consistent reviews! They make me feel happy.

Catch you later!


	27. something-atch

"Oh, sweet mother of Merlin." This was practically the only thing Jasper said when leaving the common room that morning. Partially because he couldn't think of anything else to say. Mostly because he was suddenly attacked by marshmallows.

Why was there marshmallows flooding the corridors of Hogwarts? Jasper did not know. But it couldn't have been the weirdest thing to have happened. At least no one was being petrified.

So he waded through, the puffy white things squashing underneath his shoes and fingers as he waved his arms to try and move them out of his way. Was this the twins' doing? Which twins? The Sallows? The Weasleys? The Patils? Some other bizarre pair of siblings in the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

Probably not.

Suddenly the marshmallows stopped. Don't ask how. We don't know how.

But they did.

And then Jasper encountered an empty corridor. Totally normal, but void of people. As if the marshmallows had scared them away. Jasper wasn't surprised. They were scary. Having more than one hundred of anything was scary. Except for snowflakes. And maybe raindrops.

But what was probably millions of marshmallows?

Terrifying.

But maybe the empty corridor was scarier. What if it wasn't empty at all? Only full of thousands of invisible things? That would be scary, too.

But he could walk without squashing anything underfoot, or using his hands to push anything but air out of the way. So logic suggested the corridor was empty. That was good.

What wasn't good was the weird creature that suddenly crawled out of one of the doors against the wall. It was weird-looking. With a long bill and a wide, flat tail. And four webbed feet. And… fur. Where had Hagrid found that one?

No, it was not a magical creature, Jasper's brain supplied. It was a platypus. A regular, common, platypus. They don't do much, normally. And this one was no exception.

From the now-open door that the platypus had slipped out of came the whisper of conversation. It was only like a whisper in the sense that it seemed to drone on, one word indistinguishable from the next. It was very unlike a whisper in the sense that it was loud.

Curious, and very cautious, Jasper approached the frame of the portal.

Through the door was… weird. There was a man there. With no nose. And red eyes. He would have been scary. Scarier than the marshmallows. If he wasn't wearing the ugliest orange robes Jasper had ever seen. And he was holding in his arms a small dog that was trembling. Was it cold?

"Put down the dog, Moldy." Harry Potter said, his words no longer droning on and on like whispers. And apparently, he was there. Jasper didn't know how.

"But the dog is mine!"

"No it isn't!" said a girl Jasper had never seen before. "It's mine!" She drew her wand and pointed it at the dark wizard Moldy. "Liar liar, pants on fire!"

Suddenly the hem of his robes lit on fire as if she'd screamed at him an incantation. "No, stop!" He disagreed with the flames. "I'm not on fire!" He said as if he could simply not believe in them and they would disappear.

"You don't understand the hypotenuse leg of a triangle, do you?" Harry suddenly asked the burning Moldy.

"No, and why should I?" Asked Moldy, and Jasper could imagine his nose scrunching. If he had a nose. "It's stupid."

"Not as stupid as Logarithms!" Chimed in Dumbledore as he floated above them, disappearing through the wall like a ghost shortly after stating his opinion.

"Perhaps the child is broken." Moldy gently rotated the dog in his arms before suddenly directing his red eyes at Jasper.

All attention turned to the Slytherpuff as he stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open.

"What… is _happening_?!" He cried, the confusion feeling like it might cause his skull to implode. Really, the opposite would probably happen. And the explosion would be catastrophic.

"Meow," said the unknown girl.

"Avocado!" Shouted Harry, pointing his wand at Moldy, who gently lowered the dog to the ground before overdramatically falling over gently, like a grade-school play.

"Moldy's dead! Moldy's dead!" Screamed the unknown girl.

Jasper blinked. "What?"

* * *

A/N: April Fools! In honor of both getting to meet the Phelps twins this weekend and the fact it is the Fred and George Weasley's birthday today, here is a completely unrelated and ridiculous chapter! I'm hoping to post a full-length one within this next week, but life is unpredictable, and I got a new job, so... you know how that can go, I'm sure. :)

I'll do reviewer responses when I post the next chapter, but thank you SO much for the reviews and follows and favorites! And for just reading. I hope you're amused by this one, or at least very confused.

Cashew later!


	28. The Bug to Catch

A/N: I am so sorry. Just... you know what? I won't say anything else. Not even a disclaimer. You guys know all that stuff by now, and you totally don't need me delaying you. I hope you enjoy this, no matter how long you've been gone. And thank you so much to those who have favorited/followed/reviewed in my absence.

Reviewer Response at the bottom!

* * *

Elisa looked collected. Calm. Completely relaxed. Going about her meal just as she always had before.

Or she tried to.

After her conversation with Harry Potter the day before, she'd felt anxious. No one knew about it, of course. No one had noticed. She'd been careful to make sure it was in between classes when everyone was going everywhere. And Harry was mostly alone. He was rarely without Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley those days. She'd managed to convince him to talk with her alone, however.

And he'd agreed to her plan.

Now she tried to seem as she always did. A book in front of her that she'd completely forgotten the existence of, and a meal she had yet to touch. Glancing at the clock above the entrance to the Great Hall periodically as she watched the minute hand slowly move.

Lee Jordan slid into the seat next to her, laughing at something Fred had just told him. "Hello, Lissy." He greeted her.

She tipped her head in acknowledgment and then looked back at the food she wasn't eating.

Lee was uncertain what to do. The twins had given him a very vague and incredibly brief summary of what had happened over the winter break. It was, apparently, to keep him from getting offended if she didn't laugh at his jokes. He took this as a challenge to try and make her laugh anyway.

But today she seemed… unsettled. Nervous. Though she was obviously trying to hide it.

Fred threw himself down on the bench next to Lee, George taking the other side of Elisa. The Fred variety of Weasley leaned over Lee to greet Elisa himself. "Good morning, Your Majesty!"

She lifted a hand briefly, before dropping it to the owl pendant hanging from her necklace chain. "Good morning."

George leaned forward on her other side to be more in her line of sight. "What, no kind birthday wishes from the Queen of—"

Elisa moved quickly, placing her hand directly across the mouth of George Weasley to silence him. His eyes went wide in surprise at her bold move. She shushed him, and – once she knew he wouldn't continue his train of thought – lowered her hand.

The look on his face was quite comical, Lee thought. He wasn't one to normally be quieted so easily, but her actions had surprised him into silence. Lee grinned, his appreciation of Elisa growing.

"Don't talk about it so loud." She pleaded. "Not about that."

"You've never minded before." Lee pointed out.

She grimaced. "Now it'll be incriminating."

"What? Why would—"

Lee never got to finish his query as a sudden bout of laughter erupted from further down Gryffindor table.

Confused, they all leaned to try and get a look at what was happening. All except Elisa, that is. She shrunk lower in her seat as if trying to make herself less noticeable as she fidgeted in her anxiety.

George was the one who saw first, due to his closer proximity. He sat down solidly, a perplexed expression on his face.

"What is it, George? Come on, don't leave me hanging!" Fred pleaded, then looked back in the direction of the laughter.

An expression of amused shock found its way to his face as, ever so quickly, an odd color spread across Gryffindor table.

Everyone's robes were turning a vibrant rose pink.

Fred let out a bark of laughter, and Lee kicked his leg out underneath the table to gain the attention of the Gryffindor sitting directly across from them. "Hey, Martin, did you see what happened?"

The fifth-year nodded, a broad grin fixated on his face. "I believe it started with Harry Potter's robes."

It took only seconds, and Martin's robes were turning steadily pinker. He didn't even notice until he went to spoon more of his breakfast into his mouth and caught sight of his sleeve. He gasped.

The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan howled with laughter at the look on Martin's face, and everyone around him. Elisa smirked deviously at the sight, a proud gleam in her eye even as she stayed slouched in an attempt to be inconspicuous.

"Whose robes changed first?" George asked after recovering slightly.

Having heard the clearest through all of the noise, Lee answered. "Harry Potter, according to Martin. Though I can't imagine this was his— what is it now?" Lee stopped to ask as Elisa covered her mouth to hide her amusement as Fred and George laughed without a single try at concealment.

Elisabeth pointed at his chest.

Lee followed her direction and looked down… at his own bright pink robes. He chuckled at the sight, looking closely at the fabric to see if he could tell how it was done.

Suddenly there was a scream of distress from the other end of the Great Hall.

Elisa looked up, her stomach in her throat as she wondered for a moment if something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Fred, already half-standing in order to see down the table, stood on his seat fully to see over everyone's heads. He started laughing so hard that he risked falling off.

Lee caught his sleeve in order to prevent his friend from taking a tumble. "What is it? What's happened?"

Between his wheezing, Fred could only manage "Malfoy… his robes… so _pink_ …"

"Oh, I've got to see this," George exclaimed, standing on his own seat.

"Fred, George, get down _this instant_!" Percy Weasley was suddenly at their backs, tugging on their robe tails. "It's against the rules and you're not being a good influence to the younger students. Though we know I should actually be getting you in trouble for a completely different reason."

"And what reason could that possibly be?" Fred asked innocently, hopping down from his perch.

"You know very well _what reason_." Percy hissed. "This… _epidemic_ that's happened to the robes." He looked to Lee's, gesturing to them as if providing condemning evidence. "Will the pink dye _ever_ come out?"

"I'm afraid I don't know why you're asking us," George told him. "We don't know how this happened."

Percy narrowed his eyes in disbelief, his skepticism still very present. Elisa found she couldn't even blame him; his reasoning was entirely justified by past events.

"They really didn't have anything to do with it," Elisa told him, hoping she wasn't just making it worse. "Neither George nor Fred were planning to do anything like this."

Percy's look softened. "You may not have noticed anything, Ms. Morgan, but that certainly doesn't mean they weren't planning this for months in the middle of the night or something. Thank you for your input nonetheless."

"Wow, I didn't realize you thought us so capable," George remarked.

"Mr. Weasley, what is going on here?" Minerva McGonagall's voice suddenly cut through the immediate noise, silencing many students. Her eyes roamed on the group, and Elisa found she couldn't discern which Mr. Weasley she was referring to. Maybe all of them.

"I'm not sure. There's some sort of mild charm spreading through the students at random." Percy decided to answer, taking charge of the situation.

McGonagall looked at the color pink that had spread rapidly through the hall without any reasonable pattern with the exception that it was mostly clustered in groups. "I see…" She gave the Weasley twins a stern look.

"It wasn't us, Professor," Fred told her immediately, laughing slightly.

"Then why do you find it so amusing?" She asked him, in her most serious and stern teacher voice.

It never seemed to properly faze either twin and the case held true this instance as well when Fred's laughter increased. "Because whoever _did_ do this is a _genius_."

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. "I saw it start over here. Whose robes turned first?"

"Harry Potter's," Percy said. "Though I don't believe it's his doing since he wouldn't have turned his own robes pink. Unless something went wrong with the spell and—" He was cut off as Fred, Lee, George, and Elisa all burst into laughter. With slight dread, Percy looked down at his robes. Pink.

McGonagall was still stern-faced, but Elisa saw the amused twinkle in her eye. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley, for inquiring about the matter already with your siblings. I saw the initiative."

"Oh, I'd be careful, Professor. You might just send him into the clouds without a broom if you give him any _more_ compliments." Fred teased his brother, nudging Percy's elbow with his finger.

Percy rolled his eyes in irritation.

"This is obviously at least intermediate charm work." The head of Gryffindor was saying. "I'll talk to Professor Flitwick to see if we can narrow down who did this and how."

Elisa could have sworn the Professor's gaze lingered on her just a moment longer than she would have any other time. She shook the thought out of her head, instead putting the idea up to her nervousness.

* * *

It was soon discovered by everyone in attendance that the charm would wear off after only five minutes, though it could be triggered again without a moment's notice. It was also found that anyone who had not been present at breakfast that morning was entirely immune to the effects of the spell, unable to get their robes to turn pink no matter what they did.

At first, no one knew what triggered the charm to activate. Though many suspected Dumbledore knew almost immediately; even though the color should have faded after only five minutes, the Headmaster's robes were the same vivid pink for the rest of the day.

It was at lunch that the school was told. And it was Dumbledore who made it known. He had allowed his robes to fade to their pastel blue before standing up, waiting for silence, and simply saying "Harry Potter". And suddenly his robes were pink.

And then – for a single, blissful moment after animated chatting began – everyone in the hall had pink robes. As if the charm had been re-cast to include those previously immune to its effects.

Laughter and outrage and distress filled the Great Hall, and Elisa felt a peculiar pride lighten her chest as she gazed out at those around her. Everyone wearing a single color that didn't belong to any particular house. Just… pink.

It was later, at supper, where Elisa discovered exactly how much her plot was enjoyed.

Amy was bubbling with energy as she relayed the events of that morning from her point of view. "So suddenly the Gryffindor table gets really loud. I mention the Fred and George, right? It's their birthday, so something must have happened. And Draco just sort of scoffs and goes 'I bet Potter just did something stupid-looking'," she deepened her voice comically as she quoted him, and her robes blossomed into the same color of pink as Elisa's happened to be.

Elisa had known it would be odd if her robes had never changed, so she'd purposely spoken the name that caused it.

"And then his robes were pink! No one knew quite how to react until he screamed. And then Gregory just rolled over, laughing loudly. And Vincent and Lynne joined in. Of course, I was already laughing because I couldn't help it – Draco's face was _hilarious_!" Amy giggled almost deviously, her golden curls bobbing from her movement.

Max's grin was wide as he regarded her. "You know, it's especially clever that they chose Harry's name as a trigger; now no one is talking about him unless they have to. It's brilliant."

Elisa blushed slightly at the indirect compliment.

"And Professor Snape!" Amy gasped the name. "We had double potions this afternoon, and I've never seen him so quiet."

Jasper dug his fork into his potato. "I wonder how long the Weasley's will keep this up."

"It wasn't the Weasley's," Elisa commented. "They've said so themselves."

"Right, but it's their birthday. And April Fools on top of that. How could they not have done?" Jasper countered in good nature.

Elisa shrugged. "Maybe someone else did it for them. Some sort of… gift."

"A prank as a birthday present?" Amy nodded. "That sounds exactly like something they would enjoy."

Elisa's smile was small as she looked down at her plate. They had really liked it, pulling her aside at some point between breakfast and lunch to compliment her charm, and to ask how she did it.

It was similar to the taboo spell everyone was sure surrounded the name of Voldemort. She'd actually even gained inspiration from that very idea. However, instead of the selected name triggering some sort of notifying location spell, it triggered a charm that temporarily transformed the speaker's clothing a bright pink. Simple, but difficult.

Elisa had gone to Janna Sallow for assistance on the casting, and the girl had thought of it as a fascinating social experiment. James had expressed his concerns regarding them getting caught, and Janna had rolled her eyes. "Are you joking? We're the teacher's pets. No one would ever guess we were responsible. Especially if we cooperate with all of their questionings."

The Ravendor had also asked Harry's permission, of course. He'd thought it would be very amusing, and he had told her of his hope that it would stop the students from gossiping about him so much. Or at least try and deter them. And, for the most part, it worked.

Amy continued her anecdotes of the most inconvenient, and hilarious, times a student's robes had turned pink in her year that day. Most of them involved poor timing and a slip of the tongue; the middle of a lecture about the importance of a Goblin War in the fifteen-hundreds and suddenly poof, there was a student with pink robes and ripples of laughter.

Minerva McGonagall held the streak for the longest going without colored robes, only on one occasion having been spotted with the shade of pink fading from her robes.

Dumbledore had the longest continuous streak, as it's difficult to beat having your robes pink constantly. Elisa wondered if the Headmaster had tried to casually sneak Harry's name into conversations, or if he simply said the name every time he saw the color fading, no matter what it interrupted.

The only reason Professor Snape didn't tie with McGonagall was that twice that day, Severus Snape had been seen with pink robes. Each time he'd sent a glare to the students around him that would equal the petrification of a student no doubt if held for a long period of time.

Harry regularly turned his own robes pink so he didn't feel quite as left out from Ron and Hermione; they were always trying to get his attention by using his name, so they were the closest to meeting Professor Dumbledore's level.

* * *

"Elisa, be honest with me," Jasper asked of her as they walked down a corridor, leaving the Great Hall with other students that night after the meal. "It was you, wasn't it?"

This was, of course, barely a question. The Slytherpuff had figured it out. He just wanted confirmation.

Elisa stared at him, and looked around; they were receiving very little attention.

She sighed. "You could say I was very involved, yes."

He smirked. "So much for not getting into anything the Weasleys were planning."

"They didn't plan this, though," Elisa told him.

Jasper conceded with a nod of his head. "Still… good job."

She was confused. "Why?"

"Because this took a lot of work. And planning. In secret." Jasper emphasized the last word with a look around the corridor. They were still relatively safe talking, so long as they kept walking. "And you've made many people happy."

Elisa shrugged. "The twins liked it, at least."

"The twins weren't who I was specifically referring to," Jasper told her. "Did you notice Amelia?"

Now Elisa thought for a moment. "What about her?"

"She hasn't been that excited about anything for a few months now," Jasper informed her.

Elisa nodded. She hadn't realized he had been worried at all. It was actually rather sweet of him, though Elisa was curious about the odd mood-change of the Hufflyn herself. "I'd noticed, but I put it down to stress all around." It _had_ been an eventful year, after all.

Jasper agreed with her. "But she didn't seem at all stressed tonight. She seemed a lot like her old self, even. So… good job."

Elisa's grin was small, but it was happy. Joyful. Content. Even as she parted ways with her fellow transfer and they headed to their respective common rooms.

* * *

She was greeted, upon her return to Gryffindor tower, with a pat on the shoulder from Lee Jordan, and a large hug from Fred as George congratulated her on a successfully hilarious prank, each brother noting their favorite part. Fred appreciated Snape's glorious five minutes of pink-robes in front of students, remarking that the Professor's face had turned as pink as his clothes. George complimented the choice of word, and the idea to have Harry start it himself, as that caused it to spread faster.

"It was very well done, the charm work," George added. "Oh, it's Harry!"

 _Poof!_ Pink robes. George pretended not to notice – even as Lee laughed – as he rushed over to Harry Potter, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders.

Elisa was hesitant in her approach, knowing she didn't know him all that well personally. He offered her a kind, if hesitant, smile of greeting and she returned it.

"So you helped out with this, eh?" George dug his knuckles into Harry's scalp, further tousling his already-messy hair.

Harry half-heartedly pushed at George's arm to remove the sharp bones from rubbing against his head. "If anyone asks, I wasn't involved at all. I already get in enough trouble as it is."

"Yeah, well, it was a great birthday present. Thanks." Fred nudged the boy in the shoulder gently.

Elisa was finding herself pleased to see the affection between the twins and Harry. They all seemed very fond of each other. Practically family. She wondered if any of this had to do with Ron Weasley being Harry's friend, or if maybe Harry had a budding friendship with each of the Weasley's individually. Both seemed very likely to her; he was a likable kid.

"Elisa was the mastermind behind it all," Harry mentioned without hesitation. "She only asked me for permission to use my name. Which I thoroughly appreciate. Seeing Malfoy in pink robes will be a cherished memory of mine."

George laughed. "I'm sure it would even be enough for you to conjure a patronus!"

Harry frowned at him, and Elisa couldn't help but mimic the expression even as she was the one who asked. "Patronus?"

"Yeah, we found out about them when researching for… well, that's not important." George waved his hand, indicating that they should ignore the source of why. "They're conjured using a happy memory. The happier the memory, the stronger the charm."

Harry was nodding thoughtfully, and Elisa absorbed the information. Both of them wondered what such a charm would be used for. Neither asked.

In the end, the rest of the evening was spent with everything fading back to normal, the Weasley twins becoming the main source of entertainment as they always had been. And Elisa settled into being in the background once more, hoping it would last. Just as she hoped she wouldn't be caught in her planning of the Pink Prank, as it would later be referred to when told of. Overall, the day had been a success and one that loosened the tension of the situation with the petrified students.

It wouldn't last very long, however.

* * *

A/N: Does it change anything if I say I got a new job? No? Okay. (I'm a librarian now!) Anyway, it was difficult to come up with a prank I thought would be worthy of Fred and George Weasley's birthday. Not sure I completely succeeded, but it was fun to write about. And that's why I'm here; because it's fun to write.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **imasurvivor21:** To respond to both of your last reviews, THANKS! I love seeing a familiar name in the review section. :) I hope you've been well since I last posted!

 **Charly the Ravenclaw:** Okay, I laughed at your review I'm sorry. The April Fools chapter was put up because a friend (*cough* brother *cough*) asked me to post it after I wrote it and read it to him. It was totally fake and doesn't happen canonically in this story at all, except, perhaps, as a half-forgotten dream of our favorite Slytherpuff. I'm _so_ happy you thought it was funny, because I did too. Thank you for the review!


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